Dvorak - Piano Quintet 2 [The Gaudier Ensemble]
This is one of the very best discs that i own, i've probably played it about 25 times, but it's only featured in my Blog once before [21st May 2012], both works are truly gorgeous, and even though i'm writing about the Piano Quintet 2 here, the String Quintet on this disc ran it a very close second, the third movement Poco Andante is a real gem, there's real soothing spirituality there, the Piano Quintet has some of Dvorak's very best tunes, you would think that he would use them in a big important work, a Symphony or Concerto, but Dvorak sometimes reserves his best tunes for his intimate chamber music, i went out for a walk around my neighbourhood listening to this today, a very sweet experience.
The Gaudier Ensemble comes from a group of soloists to record and play chamber music for strings / wind, with piano, they have built up a small discography on the Hyperion label, they recorded this work in 1995, the front cover is a painting by Hans Thoma called 'The Rhine Near Sackingen'.
I so much loved the first three movements, and i suppose the opening movement was the best of all, it has some truly delicious tunes, it's start is a revelation, a gentle rippling piano accompaniment [Susan Tomes], with the cello [Christoph Marks] announcing one of Dvorak's most sublime and underrated tunes [0:00-0:30], but all this sharply comes to an end when the whole Quintet explode into action in an Allegro [0:30+], on one hand it's a shame that Dvorak didn't develop this theme further, but on the other the Allegro is an exciting moment, and certainly the first movement goes all over the place, fast and daring music interspersed with themes from the sublime opening theme, and this theme makes short [1:19-1:53], and that's Dvorak for you, mixing the zest with the smooth, and at times literally mixing the fast and slow themes [3:57-4:38] in a heady concoction, the Pianist Susan Tomes must be given a special mention, she is so sublime, her piano work is scintillating at times [4:38-5:21], she somehow just gets that 'tone' just right, there's a gorgeous reprise of the opening theme [6:53-7:14], now played by the whole Quintet in a glorious serenade, followed by some irresistible stuff by the five [7:27-7:37], Dvorak really packs it with so many good things, it's ten minutes of the highest quality music possible, and as a finale the Quintet throw the themes into one final fling [9:25+], and if that's not enough, there follows the inspired Dumka second movement!.
Here's the Quintet being played on YouTube.
The Gaudier Ensemble comes from a group of soloists to record and play chamber music for strings / wind, with piano, they have built up a small discography on the Hyperion label, they recorded this work in 1995, the front cover is a painting by Hans Thoma called 'The Rhine Near Sackingen'.
I so much loved the first three movements, and i suppose the opening movement was the best of all, it has some truly delicious tunes, it's start is a revelation, a gentle rippling piano accompaniment [Susan Tomes], with the cello [Christoph Marks] announcing one of Dvorak's most sublime and underrated tunes [0:00-0:30], but all this sharply comes to an end when the whole Quintet explode into action in an Allegro [0:30+], on one hand it's a shame that Dvorak didn't develop this theme further, but on the other the Allegro is an exciting moment, and certainly the first movement goes all over the place, fast and daring music interspersed with themes from the sublime opening theme, and this theme makes short [1:19-1:53], and that's Dvorak for you, mixing the zest with the smooth, and at times literally mixing the fast and slow themes [3:57-4:38] in a heady concoction, the Pianist Susan Tomes must be given a special mention, she is so sublime, her piano work is scintillating at times [4:38-5:21], she somehow just gets that 'tone' just right, there's a gorgeous reprise of the opening theme [6:53-7:14], now played by the whole Quintet in a glorious serenade, followed by some irresistible stuff by the five [7:27-7:37], Dvorak really packs it with so many good things, it's ten minutes of the highest quality music possible, and as a finale the Quintet throw the themes into one final fling [9:25+], and if that's not enough, there follows the inspired Dumka second movement!.
Here's the Quintet being played on YouTube.
