Title: Quartett d moll
Description: The Quartet in D minor is characteristic for its melancholic, even dream-like atmosphere, its spiritual intimacy and refined elegance. It is one of only a few of Dvorak's cyclical works which begin and end in a minor key. Both outer movements in sonata form consist of clearly profiled thematic material which is masterfully treated in terms of both the music's evolution and its contrapuntal ideas. Both movements have in common a brief development section and a well-structured coda. The final movement which, in Dvorak's case, usually brings an opportunity to brighten the mood, has in this case -- despite its marked rhythms -- a more sombre tone and a strange sense of inner disquiet. The scherzo is typical of the atmosphere of the work in general: although it is a stylisation of the Czech folk dance polka, the music does not come across as carefree or jubilant, but is more reminiscent of some of Smetana's melancholic piano polkas. The third movement in slow tempo, oscillating between D major and B minor, is one of the most compelling expressions of Dvorak's lyricism. Although a work from Dvorak's mature period, this quartet is practically never performed in concert. - antonin-dvorak.cz