Victor Ewald was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 27, 1860, and died in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Russia, on April 16, 1935. Approximate performance time is thirteen minutes.
Beginning in 1872, at the age of 12, Victor Ewald studied composition, harmony, and various instruments at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, founded in 1861 by Nikolai Rubinstein. Throughout his life, Ewald continued, both as a composer and instrumentalist, to pursue his passion for music. But Victor Ewald’s highly distinguished professional career focused on the disciplines of civil engineering and architecture.
Ewald’s status as a musical amateur, along with his keen interest in Russian folk music, placed him in some rather distinguished company. The strongest unified movement toward Russian nationalistic expression in 19th-century concert music occurred during the 1860s with the formation of a group of composers dubbed by critic Vladimir Stassov as “The Five.” Organized by self-taught pianist Mily Balakirev (1837-1910), “The Five” also included Alexander Borodin (1833-1887), César Cui (1835-1918), Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). At the time of the group’s inception, all except Balakirev were musical amateurs—Borodin was a chemist; Cui, an engineering officer; Mussorgsky, an officer of the guards; and Rimsky-Korsakov, a naval officer.
The members of “The Five” and Ewald were among several Russian musicians who met on Fridays at the home of music publisher Mitrofan Belayev (1836-1904). The Friday Belayev soirées, known as “Les Vendredis,” were a beehive of music-making, comradery, and lively conversation. It is likely that Victor Ewald composed his Brass Quintet No. 1 in B-flat minor, Opus 5 (1890) for initial performance at “Les Vendredis.” Opus 5 was the only Brass Quintet published during Ewald’s lifetime. The subsequent discovery of three additional Ewald Brass Quintets was cause for celebration by instrumentalists and audiences alike.
The Ewald Brass Quintet No. 1 is in three movements. The first (Moderato) is based upon two themes juxtaposing minor and major keys. A brief development of the themes leads to their recapitulation (Tempo I) and a vibrant coda (Più mosso) that finally resolves to a hushed close. The second movement (Adagio non troppo lento) begins with an elegant theme in 5/4 meter. A sprightly central episode (Allegro Vivace) ultimately yields to a varied reprise of the opening section (Tempo I. Adagio), and a ppp resolution. The Quintet ends with a spirited Allegro moderato, perhaps the movement that most reflects the composer’s affinity for Russian folk music.