THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Lennox Berkeley
Biography
Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989) was an English composer whose catalogue encompasses orchestral, operatic, vocal and chamber music. He studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, and his work often brings clarity of texture and lyrical expression to carefully balanced instrumental forms. His Quintet, Op. 90, was written in 1975 for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano.
Why this music interests us
Berkeley's Quintet, Op. 90, is an especially attractive work for Resonance's interest in substantial British chamber music. Commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, its four movements bring together winds and piano with characteristic clarity and expressive range. It deserves consideration not because Berkeley is obscure, but because this particular chamber combination and repertoire are heard less often than they might be.
Selected works & listening
Quintet, Op. 90 (1975; oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano); Piece (flute, clarinet, bassoon); Sextet, Op. 47 (clarinet, horn, string quartet)
Further information