Scherzo

Rontgen composed two woodwind quintets which he dedicated "to Mrs. Coolidge." He evidently never sent these to her as neither work is among the massive collection of manuscripts she left to the Library of Congress upon her death. One of the two quintets is a multi-sectional Serenade, well known to players. The second work is the Scherzo for Woodwind Quintet which is made available for the first time. Rontgen did not give the Scherzo a nickname, but if he had been so inclined, it would have been the "American Quintet." As a tribute to the woman known to the musical world as "Saint Elizabeth" for her financial support of contemporary composition, the Scherzo utilizes ten of the pitches from the opening of The Star Spangled Banner (corresponding to the lyrics "Say can you see, by the dawn's early light") as its main thematic material. The Scherzo for Woodwind Quintet displays Rontgen's skill at counterpoint as well as his knowledge of the various instruments' capabilities and characteristics.