Carl Friedrich Baumgarten
(* 1740 - † 1824)

Six Quartets for Oboe and Strings
Charming works of moderate difficulty.

Baumgarten was a part of the influx of German musicians into London in the last half of the eighteenth century, arriving from his birthplace, Lübeck, at the age of eighteen. Working initially as an organist, violinist and teacher, he became the director of the Covent Garden orchestra from 1780 to 1794, and the composer of major stage works as well as chamber music and organ pieces. But in one of the ironies of history, he may be best remembered today for his formidable appetite. That inveterate gossip, William Parke, has recorded an event regarding Baumgarten and his dedicatee for these quartets, the Duke of Cumberland, as follows:

In the month of September [1789] I attended the music parties of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland during a week, at his lodge in Windsor great park, where I met … Mr. Baumgarten. Our mornings were passed ad libitum, and the evenings in executing the fine music of Mr. Baumgarten, which had been composed expressly for the Duke. On one of the evenings the Prince of Wales arrived from Brighton to dinner with his royal uncle. After they had dined we performed some of our usual quartets and quintets…. Mr. Baumgarten being a great eater, Messrs. Waterhouse, Shield, Blake, and myself, in order to form some idea of the quantity he consumed at a meal, proposed in sport, during a morning walk, that we should all be weighed, which being agreed to, and the apparatus at hand, was soon accomplished; and memoranda were made of the different weights. After dinner during another walk, purposely brought about, we were all weighed again, when it appeared that Mr. Baumgarten was eight pounds heavier after than before dinner!

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in D Major, Op. 2, No. 1 score and parts $35.00 / oboe or flute, violin, viola, 'cello extra parts $7.00

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in F Major, Op. 2, No. 2 score and parts $28.00 / oboe or flute, two violins, 'cello extra parts $6.00

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in g minor, Op. 2, No. 3 score and parts $36.00 / oboe or flute, violin, viola, 'cello extra parts $7.00

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in D Major, Op. 2, No. 4 score and parts $26.00 / oboe or flute, two violins, 'cello extra parts $5.00

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in E-flat Major, Op. 2, No. 5 score and parts $27.00 / oboe or flute, violin, viola, 'cello extra parts $6.00

Quartet for oboe/flute and strings in G Major, Op. 2, No. 6 score and parts $34.00 / oboe or flute, two violins, 'cello extra parts $7.00