Master of Czech Folk Music - 19 November

To conclude our Thursday Heritage Concert series for 2020 The Kotuku Quintet presented a programme called "Master of Czech Folk Music" on the 19 November where they performed the wonderful Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major op. 81. It is written in four movements: Andante; Dumka: Andante con moto; Scherzo-furiant. Molto vivace; Finale. Allegro. The Kotuku Quintet are: Simon Ansell (violin), John Seagar (violin), Judith Gust (viola), Sally-Anne Brown (cello), Louise Webster (piano) Programme notes: Dvořák’s Quintet was written 1887 while the composer was living on his brother-in-law's estate at Vysoká, a country village not far from Prague. Written during a period of contentment, this popular work shows a composer at the height of his creative powers and it is regarded as one of the finest works in the piano quintet genre, alongside the quintets of Schumann, Brahms and Shostakovich. The quintet in A Op. 5. began life as a revision of an earlier work, Dvořák had not been happy with this work and destroyed the manuscript not long after its premiere. Fifteen years later he decided to revise it from a score retrieved from a friend. Instead, he created a new work which has proved a popular masterpiece ever since its first performance in 1888. The work brings together an expressive lyricism, brilliant use of instrumental colour and inventive textures. A successful fusion of Czech nationalism & Austro-German tradition, the influence of Brahms, a lifelong friend and advocate of Dvořák, is felt in its musical construction and clarity of design. Czech folk music elements and song and dance forms underly the character of the piece. No direct quotations are used, but Dvořák uses original melodies in the authentic folk style. Although the music has sudden mood shifts with contrasting slow and fast sections and changes back and forth between major and minor, this is essentially a happy work full of colour and life.