Prinz Louis Ferdinand - Piano Quartet No. 2, Op. 6 (1806)

Prince Frederick Louis Christian "Ferdinand" of Prussia (German: Friedrich Ludwig Christian; 18 November 1772 – 10 October 1806), was a Prussian prince, soldier, composer and pianist. Prince Louis Ferdinand fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

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Piano Quartet No. 2 in f minor, Op. 6 (publ. c. 1806)
Dedication: Herrn Rode (Pierre Rode 1774-1830)

I. Allegro moderato (0:00)
II. Menuetto e Trio I/II (12:33)
III. Adagio lento e amoroso (18:11)
IV. Allegro ma moderato e espressivo (28:45)

Horst Göbel, piano and the Joachim Quartett.

Apart from being a soldier, Louis Ferdinand was also a gifted musician and composer. Johann Friedrich Reichardt, Kapellmeister to Frederick II and Frederick William II, considered him a great pianist. Early on Louis Ferdinand also started to compose music, but he was not recognized for his compositional activities until later. His early pieces were performed by the orchestra of Prince Henry, the brother of Fredrick the Great. Later on, Prince Louis Ferdinand joined several salons in Berlin, where he frequently improvised on the piano. Among his circle of acquaintances were figures such as Schlegel, Wackenroder, and Tieck, all of whom were highly interested in music as well. Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to him, a sign of high esteem for his piano playing. Anton Reicha's massive variation cycle, L'art de varier, was also written for Louis Ferdinand.

In 1842, Franz Liszt wrote an Élégie sur des motifs du Prince Louis Ferdinand de Prusse, S. 168, for piano solo.

The piano quartet Op. 6 was dedicated to the famous French violinist Jacques Pierre Joseph Rode (16 February 1774 – 25 November 1830) who toured extensively in the Netherlands, Germany, England and Spain, staying with François-Adrien Boieldieu in Saint Petersburg from 1804 until 1809, and later spending much time in Moscow. Besides being a solo virtuoso he also specialized in chamber music, it was in this capacity he met Prince Louis Ferdinand, probably in Berlin.