Busch Quintet in C major Op. 68 [Breit:EB8907]

The Flute Quintet op. 68 is one of the last works of Adolf Busch The final version was written in March 1952, just a few months before the composer’s death; however, Busch evidently had been working on it for the previous two years. During this time, Busch founded the “Marlboro Music Festival” together with his son-in-law, the pianist Rudolf Serkin, his brother Hermann and other partners. The summer festival has long since established itself and can look back on a more than fifty-year-long performance tradition of the quintet, since it has been – and still is – regularly played by the members of the family (brother, daughter and granddaughter). Highly esteemed by many a Busch aficionado as a late work in a positive and placid tone, it is now printed for the first time by Breitkopf & Härtel.

Adolf Busch wrote 70 works with opus numbers and about as many without, which were intended for home use. Rediscovered and increasingly performed, Busch’s music is now conquering the place it deserves in concert programs. The present edition is part of Breitkopf’s series of chamber music by Adolf Busch.