Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 03/29/2014, uploaded on 07/21/2014

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

In January 1887, Dvořák was living in Prague with his family and a young chemistry student named Josef Kruis. Kruis was an amateur violinist and Dvořák decided to write a trio for 2 violins and viola so the young man, his teacher Jan Perlikán and Dvořák could play together. The work (Terzetto in C, Op.74) proved too demanding for the young man so Dvořák quickly wrote a set of four miniatures. Soon after completing the work, Dvořák rearranged it into the setting you will hear today.

The first movement is a beautifully simple melody over a lilting piano accompaniment in the key of Bb major. The simple harmonic structure of the opening sets the scene for expressive shifts in tonality later on. A much more stormy Allegro Maestoso follows in the darker key of D minor where Dvořák uses a fast tempo, sudden dynamic changes and a consistently detached articulation to unsettle the mood. The third movement returns to the melodic and tonal style of the opening movement although this time the piano accompanies the soaring violin line in triplet figuration. It finishes with a tragic Elegy in the key of G minor where the piano relentlessly progresses with constant movement despite the reluctance and desperation written in falling appoggiaturas and chords in the violin part.   Yoo Jin Jang

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.