Complementing the compelling influence of his Czech musical heritage, Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) aspired to write the music of broader, more universal appeal. The quintet’s unconventional scoring of a double bass lends it a particular sonority. In addition to grounding the ensemble with a deeper harmonic foundation, the double bass furthermore frees the cello to join the violin and viola in the treble register. Still, he often imbued his music with certain traits, particularly rhythmic ones, of his native Moravian and Bohemian music.
Up Next in Season 1
-
Nielsen Wind Quintet
Carl Nielsen, Denmark’s greatest and most frequently performed composer, had always been fascinated by woodwind instruments. The colorful Wind Quintet of Carl Nielsen is arguably his most characteristic work. The quintet is a relatively late work that reveals the personalities of all the instrume...
-
Trailblazers: Forging New Paths
No-one really knows who the first female composer was but women have been creating and singing melodies since the very beginnings of history. In honor of Women’s History Month, TRAILBLAZERS: Women Forging New Paths will feature more than four centuries of music by female composers, displaying sig...