[Op. 11]. Quatuor pour deux Violons, Alto et Violoncelle... Œuv 11 (3 Quatuor) Prix: 9 f. [Parts]

Paris: Richault [PN 1025 R.], 1862. Folio. Unbound. Violino primo: 1f. (title), [i] (blank), 16-23, [i] (blank) pp.; Violino secondo: [i] (blank), 10-14 pp.; Viola: [i] (blank), 10-13, [i] (blank) pp.; Violoncello: [i] (blank), 10-14 pp. Engraved. Header "3" printed to all pages of music. Publisher's handstamp to foot of title.

Monogram "B.D." to upper left corner of title.

Impression light; spine of Violino primo part reinforced with paper tape. First French edition, later issue, of Spohr's 3rd quartet, in D minor, also counted as "Quatuor brillant no. 1." The first issue was published before 1828 (Göthel). Part of the complete edition of Spohr's quartets to date. Rare. Göthel p. 22. WorldCat (1 copy only, at the Koninklijke bibliotheek, The Hague). Devriès-Lesure II, p. 365).

"The largest portion of Spohr's chamber music was for strings alone, ranging from 19 unsurpassed duos for two violins to four masterly, and largely unemulated, double string quartets. These, together with the 36 string quartets (and several other works for the same combination), seven string quintets and the String Sextet of 1848, display a number of common features. Spohr's own mastery of the violin is evident in all of them, and their technical difficulties, together with the particular style of performance necessary to secure their full effect, may partly explain their infrequent performance. The quartets, especially, fall into two distinct categories: solo quartets in the tradition of Rode (often entitled Quatuor brillant), which are essentially violin concertos with string trio accompaniment, and true quartets where the interest is more evenly divided between the instruments." Clive Brown in Grove Music Online. (Inventory #: 25984)