Czech Chamber Music Society • Belcea Quartet and Miroslav Sekera

The programme for the 2021/2022 season was chosen taking into account the coming anniversaries of composers. Mozart’s String Quartet in F major is one of the three masterpieces of the genre that he dedicated to the King of Prussia, who is said to have been an excellent cellist. For this reason, the cello part is especially demanding. K. Szymanowski is among the composers with anniversaries this year. He was influenced by the music of Wagner, Richard Strauss, Chopin, and especially the great impressionists Debussy and Ravel. Dvořák’s Piano Quintet, Op. 81 reveals supreme compositional mastery. It was first heard on 6 January 1888 at one of the concerts of the Artists’ Association at the Rudolfinum in Prague. The work’s première met with very positive reviews from critics. For example, in the newspaper Národní listy, Josef Bohuslav Foerster called it: “a work of rare worth, fresh thematic material, and imposing depth of treatment. One cannot give preference to any of the movements, because the fervent Allegro and the poetic Dumka are just as captivating as the high-spirited Furiant and the carefree Finale. The sound of the composition also makes a lovely impression and the work contains many interesting and original instrumental effects, as we would expect from Dvořák.”