Dvorak's Den

[Madiel]

Oh, I've been looking forward to this one... Piano Trio No.3, op.65 (B.130)

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Why? Well, because it made a genuine impression the first time around when I was listening to the piano trios and piano quartets, when I acquired them. This was a work that made me go "wow! that was good".

There's a site on Dvorak that suggests this is one of his major achievements in chamber music, and also one of the best piano trios in the repertoire, and I'm not going to disagree. There are also a few commentaries that link it to Symphony no.7, and that's very understandable. Similar timeframe (early 1883 versus 1884/5), similar dark and dramatic tone that isn't considered typical. This is Dvorak doing really "serious" music.

And doing it darn well. The 1st movement is full of drama and in my view it doesn't have a dull moment. The 2nd movement lightens the texture, but is still in a minor key and has a fiery tone to its dance. The central section has just a hint of warmth, but even then there's still an edge of intensity.

The 3rd movement... the opening cello tune and then the violin's copy and extension of it is just so flat out gorgeous, it's criminal. There's a feeling that here we have some calm, but not quite because of the way it turns. And the harmonic shifts... gah. It's beautiful. And then it turns out that the whole movement is built out of that tune.

The finale has a certain sense of folk/dance to its main theme, but with cross-rhythms constantly disrupting it. It's the longest finale I've yet come across in this listening cycle, and arguably the most complex. The ending is really something, it feels several times as if the work is set to end in a major key triumph, but more than once the music gets cut down, before it finally does get there.

You, um, can probably tell I really like this one.  If you ever hear someone dismissing Dvorak as someone who could write a good tune but not develop a form, get them to give this a listen.

[Brian]

I just want to say your series of posts has ignited all the memories of the first times I heard these pieces - plus a desire to listen to them all again, reading the posts as an accompaniment. Might just do that this week. Keep discovering and sharing!

Can't wait til you get to my favorite: Quartet No. 13

[Madiel]

I'm pretty sure that's another one I'm specifically looking forward to revisiting. Although I do have trouble keeping 13 and 14 straight in my head. Dvorak was quite clear about his opus numbers there, but we all ignore them...

[Madiel]

There's now what appears to be the largest gap between chamber works in the Dvorak chronology, a whole 4 years!

Op.65 was written early in 1883. It looks as if Dvorak did other things until 1887, when he composed some smaller pieces for string trio that I don't have, and then later in the year...

Piano Quintet No.2, op.81 (or op.77 before Simrock ruined things...) (B.155)

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The 1st movement just flat out amazes me with the ways it shifts and changes. It starts off with the most ridiculously placid tune you can imagine, and then after a few bars WHAM!, we're in totally different territory.

And then the epic Dumka changes mood as well - although being called a "dumka" gives fairer warning. A slow, slightly stately main section gives way to somewhat more animated, brighter music at times, and on one occasion a flat out sprint.

The Furiant/scherzo is relatively straightforward, sparkling in the 'A' section and more mellow in the trio, delightful in either. The finale continues in a similar vein, but during the coda it slows down in incredibly beautiful fashion.

So the overriding impression I get of this piece is the richness and variety of it. There's a light and grace to all this music, too, a transparency of texture despite the forces being used. No doubt helped by Susan Tomes basically being one of the greatest chamber music pianists.

[Eli]

Dvorak is really an underated composer. Years ago by accident I listen to a disk of his piano quintets. The first isnt bad and the second is wonderful music with everything, excitement, sadness playfulness, drama. Not a boring moment. I remember hearing his 9th and the cello concerto, but never really went further for some unexplainable reason.

I've been giving his 7th symphony an ear and haven't been so excited about music in years. I wonder why he's such a secret. Maybe it's half the fun.

[Madiel]

On and off this week I've been listening to Piano Quartet No.2, op.87 (B.162).

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One of the things that strikes me about this one is that it feels relatively direct. After saying that the last few works shifted and changed, or were serious 'classical' works, this one is more about just laying out the tunes. Certainly, the 1st movement gets right to it in a bold fashion, and the 2nd movement (with an opening theme that seems very related to the 1st movement's) is an exercise in lyricism.

Which is not to say the music is unsophisticated. Rather, the music is immediately and easily appealing at the same time.

The 3rd movement is the one that really surprises me. In the outer sections, it's sort of a waltz rather than a scherzo, with some very Eastern-sounding moments, and there's one little passage which one commentary suggests is meant to evoke a cimbalom but frankly to my modern ears ends up sounding more like Dvorak has suddenly arrived in Trinidad and discovered steel drums! A bit disconcerting. Then the central section is more animated, a real folk dance.

The finale has that directness again; just like the 1st movement, it starts boldly and spends a lot of time working with versions of its initial theme, but this one has a rhythmic bounce to it. Thoroughly enjoyable!

And that's true of the whole work. I perhaps wouldn't put it quite in the absolute top rank of my personal Dvorak favourites, but like so many of his compositions it's got a wonderful energy.

[Madiel]

About time I finished tinkering with op.90, the Piano Trio of Dumky.

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My memory of when I first listened to this is of being just a little disappointed. It's the whole structure thing... Six movements all the same? Hey, where's my sonata form?!

So it took some adjusting of expectations. And it's certainly an interesting form. It doesn't play as 6 pieces of the same kind, which actually would be something that's been done many times. It plays as a single, unfolding piece through a chain of movements.

Add to that, dumky do play to some of Dvorak's strengths (and of course he'd already used them a number of times). A mix of lyrical melodies and energetic folk rhythms. There are some lovely moments. I particularly like the way the opening of the 1st dumka avoids a sense of resolution on the tonic, keeping everything in suspense until the faster music comes. I like the fast sections of the 3rd dumka a lot, and the 4th dumka does some interesting things that feel a little different from what's gone before.

And yet, and yet... I can't help feeling that overall piece suffers from a sense of predictability and ends up being staid. You don't know all the details, but you know there'll be a slow section and then it will pick up and be vibrant and then it will go back to the slow music again. The form is a deliberately simple, folk-influenced one, and while it can provide beautiful moments I'm not completely persuaded it's enough to sustain a large-scale piece.

I'm remotely saying I don't enjoy listening to it. But it feels like, compared to other Dvorak works, I'm more likely to stick this one in the background and only pay vague attention to it.

[Jo498]

The Dumky Trio is definetely a potboiler, especially live.
But I agree that it can get "stale" fairly soon, maybe the Florestan Trio is a little "too polite" as well (I have not heard it). In any case, the other trios (esp. the 3rd) are very good and do not deserve to be overshadowed by the Dumky as it is often the case.

[Que]

The Dumky Trio is definetely a potboiler, especially live.
But I agree that it can get "stale" fairly soon, maybe the Florestan Trio is a little "too polite" as well (I have not heard it). In any case, the other trios (esp. the 3rd) are very good and do not deserve to be overshadowed by the Dumky as it is often the case.

Florestan is probably too "polished" and polite, I agree....
The fault can't lie with Dvorák, it is one of his best compositions...

Try the Suk Trio (Supraphon), or if you like a modern recording:

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Q

[aukhawk]

Or Queyras / Faust / Melnikov maybe.

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[Madiel]

So, it's finally time for that ubiquitous String Quartet No.12 composed in America...

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...and knock me over with a feather, because honestly I think this is the most I've ever enjoyed it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting to know it better, or because I put it on while doing other things and so was listening more at the macro-scale and not obsessing over every single note, but for some reason all that blatant lyricism is winning me over this time.

Yeah, okay, so there are still moments like the 3rd movement where it feels a little bit simplistic. A little while ago I read something suggesting that the 12th quartet is relatively easy to play, and maybe that's one reason why it gets heard so much more often than the others. And it's texture is noticeably more 'melody plus accompaniment' than usual (I'm relieved to find this isn't just in my head).  But on the whole, Dvorak does some pretty snazzy things with those 'simple' tunes.

[Karl Henning]

Going to hear the Stabat Mater performed live in Keene, New Hampshire tonight.

[Madiel]

I've been pottering around with String Quintet No.3 (op.97 / B.180)

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One commentary pointed out that, like the op.96 quartet, the texture is more often melody/accompaniment than in other works.

The start is so relaxed and warm, though it does quickly develop a bit more edge. But overall it's isn't hard to imagine Dvorak happily holidaying in Iowa. The tunes seem to have that slight American tinge to them. The way the end of the 1st movement winds down is rather fascinating.

The scherzo quietly throbs with an allegedly native American rhythm, even in the slower middle section with its long melody. The 3rd movement theme and variations starts off in extremely leisurely fashion, and while it does have faster decoration it always feels so relaxed except for one variation. The theme shifts from minor to major halfway through, in a very subtle manner... but it's honestly hard to grasp that this is connected with Dvorak's proposal for an American national anthem!

The closing rondo has a distinctly galloping gait in its main theme. I really like the contrast with the (native-American influenced) 'B' section. The whole work is filled with richness and warmth, not surprising with the extra viola. Even by the standards of Dvorak this is approachable and happy music.

[Madiel]

I've decided to stick with Dvorak's numbering, not future judgement, so it's time for String Quartet No.14 (op.105/B.193)

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This is the work that Dvorak started in America, but put aside for a while to work on no.13 and didn't complete until about 9 months later - quite a gap by his standards.

There's something uneasy about the 1st movement, with it's slow minor-keyish beginning. It never quite manages to sound bright and cheerful. There's a hesitant quality to the music that holds everything back. It's very interesting and subtle.

The 2nd movement dance has a real richness and depth to it (more like a quintet than a quartet), while the central section is lyrical without losing energy. The 3rd movement sounds at first like a rather straightforward tune, but it gets richer and richer as it goes. At times it feels as the music is struggling to contain itself within the confines of the form.

The finale briefly flirts with trouble like the opening movement did, but quickly bursts into eager energy. It has the same quality of richness as the rest of the work. Everything is just that little bit introspective and mellow. Okay, maybe not everything, as by the end of the movement it's pretty vigorous!

But it's extraordinarily rich music, very sophisticated. 21 years after the quartet no.7 that I started this survey with, Dvorak is fully in command of his resources.

[Madiel]

And then I could only manage to wait about 24 hours before launching into String Quartet No.13 (op.106 / B.192).


Mostly because the opening sticks in the mind, as one of the most flat-out joyous opening gestures in all music. The leaps and trills are magical. The whole 1st movement is full of energy and colour.

The opening of the 2nd movement Adagio immediately brings a different sound, with the music at a lower pitch and excursions towards minor keys. It's warm and rich, a touch melodramatic. The movement in fact gets very melodramatic in places, bursting with passion and more sound than 4 instruments ought to be able to make.

The 3rd movement molto vivace would be relatively straightforward if it wasn't for the rather surprising shifts in key that occur. The finale has the briefest of slow introductions before being just as energetic as the scherzo had been, with a very strong folk-music feel to it. There are a number of changes of pace along the way, and excursions into themes from previous movements. I think this might be one of Dvorak's most engaging finales.

The piece as a whole? A definite winner. If I'm not entirely convinced by the scherzo just now, it's only a relative weakness compared to the other excellent movements, particularly the first and last. It's yet another piece of Dvorak chamber music that deserves to be widely heard.

[Brian]

more sound than 4 instruments ought to be able to make.

This is the key for me, and why I love that quartet in particular so much. It's absolutely symphonic - the scale, the dynamic range, the epic size, the hugeness/unsubtlety of the emotional import. It's like having a Symphony No. 10. Am very happy, as always to be reading your thoughts on these pieces!

[Jo498]

The last two quartets are among Dvorak's greatest works, unfortunately not as well known as the much lighter "American" F major (which is also great but not as good as the last two). I used to prefer the A flat major (I refer to them by key because I cannot keep the numbering straight) because it was "tighter" and more classical but I now think that the expansive G major is even more original and greater. It sounds orchestral but does not sacrifice detail and musical substance for orchestral effects.

I recommend two recordings that are almost polar opposites: An early 60s stereo recording with the (old) Vlach quartet that has an incredibly warm and earthy sound and is completely idiomatic, of course.

And the Artemis quartet who play parts of it reminding one of Janacek (coupled with his 2nd), that is as a more modern piece, but very passionate nevertheless.

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[Madiel]

Am very happy, as always to be reading your thoughts on these pieces!

Well, I'm glad you're getting something out of it. I've actually found it harder work for Dvorak than with any of my other attempts to describe what I'm listening to. There's something same-ish about much of his music, and believe me I mean that in the nicest possible way because the overarching quality is this incredible gift for lyricism and melody.

It's just such a dominant part of his musical personality. And even after going through this exercise, I can find it a bit hard to differentiate pieces, because I'm just having the same reaction so often. Yet another great tune, yet another work that makes me happy and satisfied and glad that I had the time to listen. Dvorak is a composer I turn to for happiness and relaxation, even with pieces in minor keys. The only other composer I have a similar reaction to is Haydn. These are the guys I turn to for humanity and warmth and to feel better about the world.

[Karl Henning]

Well, I'm glad you're getting something out of it. I've actually found it harder work for Dvorak than with any of my other attempts to describe what I'm listening to. There's something same-ish about much of his music, and believe me I mean that in the nicest possible way because the overarching quality is this incredible gift for lyricism and melody.

I think that, to a degree, that may be a function of how far back we go with the listening.  I.e., I found a challenge likewise in the work of Haydn.  Or rather, the "sameness" was the barrier decades ago (and my native fondness for newer music, with its frequent emphasis on contrast, inclined me to dismiss music of "sameness");  but now that I listen to Haydn better, and give him his time and attention, I enjoy the variety of content without knocking my shins against the rhetorical "sameness."  Make any sense?

[Brian]

I think that, to a degree, that may be a function of how far back we go with the listening.  I.e., I found a challenge likewise in the work of Haydn.  Or rather, the "sameness" was the barrier decades ago (and my native fondness for newer music, with its frequent emphasis on contrast, inclined me to dismiss music of "sameness");  but now that I listen to Haydn better, and give him his time and attention, I enjoy the variety of content without knocking my shins against the rhetorical "sameness."  Make any sense?

It makes sense to me, and I think orfeo will most definitely catch up with us as he becomes more familiar with Dvorak's music. After all, he's talking about first impressions of stuff we've probably heard 50+ times. Even so, orfeo has already managed - with amazing conciseness - to precisely capture just why I love Dvorak so much:

Dvorak is a composer I turn to for happiness and relaxation, even with pieces in minor keys. The only other composer I have a similar reaction to is Haydn. These are the guys I turn to for humanity and warmth and to feel better about the world.

(On my favorites list, Dvorak is still #2 only to Beethoven himself.)