Chamber music occupied a special place in Dvorak’s heart. This CD of two of his finest — and less well-known — chamber works will earn a cherished spot in your record collection.
Dvorak composed his richly textured String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97 (1893) during a sojourn in Iowa. It radiates Dvorak’s warmth and humanity while also echoing his encounters with the music of different Native American tribes.
Poetic and expressive, the landmark String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106 (1895) shows Dvorak in his creative prime. “What marvelous music,” says Gramophone magazine. “Why is it so rarely heard? . . . Why don’t some of our younger quartets tackle this masterpiece?”
At last, one of them has. On this new Cedille recording, the Naumburg Award-winning Pacifica Quartet, a bold and dynamic young ensemble (“They all move on the same strong, supple band of time.” — New York Times), rises to the challenge, joined in the quintet by violist Michael Tree of the Guarneri Quartet.