39. More than Words
from The Concert - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Hosted by Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Vivaldi: Flute Concerto, Op. 10, No. 1 Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 The first piece on today’s program falls into the category of “program music,” meaning that the notes follow a set “program” or story. And this music delivers: full of vigorous, rushing passages and endless motion, conjuring a storm-tossed ocean. Dvorak’s piano quintet, on the other hand, evokes many emotions without giving name to any of them. Actually his second quintet—he was reputedly dissatisfied with his first—the piece has won a place among the most-loved Romantic-era quintets, and it’s easy to hear why. Warm, lush melodies, colorful Eastern European elements and delicious rhythms—two against three, three against four—make it a great piece to sink your teeth into, even without a storyline.
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