GUITAR QUINTET in C

With these instruments the Gitarre-Quintett C-Dur by Franz Xaver Süssmayer is an unique composition. The level of difficulty will not be a problem for most guitarists. The guitar part is certainly not intended as a concertant role (the title is therefore a bit misleading) but is equal to the other instruments. More than 45 compositions for guitar and other instruments from trios, quartets to quintets have been digitized by me, using the facsimile as source of information, but even better the manuscript. The score of this quintet (published by Schott) has an unusual order of the instruments, at the top the violin followed by the oboe, viola, guitar & cello. Preferably oboe on top and the guitar below the cello. If one looks at two contemporaries of Süssmayer: Leonardo de Call (1767-1815) and Joseph Küffner (1776-1856) then it is always at the top the flute then violin, viola, cello and below the guitar (see for example Küffner opus 156) . Küffner and de Call undoubtedly made the greatest contribution in music history of guitar in chamber music.
The score and parts of the Süssmayer quintet are very well maintained clear and in a reliable print. Two minus points are the complete absence of cue notes in the parts. The guitar part is often noted an octave (8va) up : is this original (?) or by Konrad Ragossnig (the editor) you will not find any information about this. If it is by Ragossnig I agree it sounds better an octave higher!
Süssmayer is best known for completing Mozart's requiem. A small consolation for all guitarists that unfortunately we cannot get any closer to Mozart with this beautiful quintet.
Enjoy playing,
Aloys Simons