Len Mullenger wrote of missing out on hearing at a concert a quartet by
Onslow, of whom he had not heard.  Just the other day I heard an attractive
quintet of his on the radio, and made a mental note to find out something
of him, not least why a French composer has an English name.  It transpires
that Onslow's father, a member of parliament, left England for France after
a scandal, and married a French woman.  Onslow (1784-1853) was the eldest
of three sons, spent his youth in London and returned to France, took up
the cello, studied with a number of people including Reicha, and produced
an enormous quantity of music which, apart from four symphonies, seems to
consist entirely of chamber music, including 35 string quartets, 34 string
quintets, a nonet, and much other chamber music with piano. There appears
to be little of it available on CD. He was born and died in
Clermont-Ferrand, a city I don't remember reading of in any other musical
association.

In passing, Len mentioned that the replacement quartet at the concert he
attended travelled from Aldeburgh to Leamington by train between afternoon
and evening concerts.  Having myself once attempted a similar feat which
met with spectacular failure, I am lost in admiration!

Richard Pennycuick
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