Antonín Dvořák: Piano Quartet No. 2; Romantic Pieces; Sonatina, Op. 100 (1996)
Isaac Stern, violin; Emanuel Ax, piano; Robert McDonald, piano; Jaime Laredo, viola; Yo-Yo Ma, cello
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 300 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical | Label: Sony Classical | # SK 62597 | Time: 01:08:30
Isaac Stern, violin; Emanuel Ax, piano; Robert McDonald, piano; Jaime Laredo, viola; Yo-Yo Ma, cello
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 300 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical | Label: Sony Classical | # SK 62597 | Time: 01:08:30
Antonin Dvorák's Piano Quartet No. 2 is one of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century (as are many of Dvorák's chamber compositions). Written in 1889 at the request of his publisher Simrock, it is a big, bold work filled with the Czech master's trademark melodic fecundity, harmonic richness, and rhythmic vitality. The first movement is a soaring, outdoor allegro with an assertively optimistic main theme accented by Czech contours and Dvorák's love of mixing major and minor modes. The Lento movement's wistful main theme is played with a perfect mixture of passion and poise by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The music alternates between passages of drama and delicacy in this, one of Dvorák's finest slow movements in any medium. The Scherzo's stately waltz is contrasted by a lively, up-tempo Czech country dance. The finale is a high-stepping, high-spirited allegro with a strong rhythmic pulse that relaxes for the beautifully lyrical second subject.