FLORENT SCHMITT AND THE LIED ET SCHERZO, OP. 54

Abstract

Though written by a less well-known composer, Florent Schmitt’s Lied et Scherzo, Op. 54, is a work for double woodwind quintet featuring a principal French horn that arguably approaches the stature of such cornerstone works as the Mozart Serenades, the Beethoven Octet, the Strauss Serenade in E-flat, or the Stravinsky Octet. The work is not well known in America, however, and neither is its composer.

Unlike his contemporary Stravinsky, French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) was not in the business of cultivating his own fame. He often downplayed his own significance and disliked being questioned about himself. Though Schmitt’s music is high quality, it is often difficult to categorize. This is because it is comprised of a wide and colorful array of compositional styles, genres, and nationalistic traits.

This document is intended to serve as a resource for those who wish to study and perform Lied et Scherzo. Therefore, it fulfills two needs. The first is to provide more biographical information about Florent Schmitt in the English language. The second is an analysis of Lied et Scherzo, Op. 54. As the document reveals, Lied et Scherzo is a musical tapestry woven from a diverse assortment of both progressive and familiar musical techniques, traditions, and ideologies.