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Dvorak, Ax, Stern
Dvorak: Piano Quartet No.2, Romantic Pieces
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
1. Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, B. 162 (Op. 87): Allegro con fuoco
2. Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, B. 162 (Op. 87): Lento
3. Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, B. 162 (Op. 87): Allegro moderato, grazioso
4. Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, B. 162 (Op. 87): Finale
5. Romantic Pieces (4) for violin & piano, B. 150 (Op. 75) (rev. of Miniatures, B. 149): Allegro moderato
6. Romantic Pieces (4) for violin & piano, B. 150 (Op. 75) (rev. of Miniatures, B. 149): Allegro maestoso
7. Romantic Pieces (4) for violin & piano, B. 150 (Op. 75) (rev. of Miniatures, B. 149): Allegro appassionato
8. Romantic Pieces (4) for violin & piano, B. 150 (Op. 75) (rev. of Miniatures, B. 149): Larghetto
9. Sonatina for violin & piano in G major ('Indian Lament'), B. 183 (Op. 100): Allegro risoluto
10. Sonatina for violin & piano in G major ('Indian Lament'), B. 183 (Op. 100): Larghetto
11. Sonatina for violin & piano in G major ('Indian Lament'), B. 183 (Op. 100): Scherzo, Molto vivace
12. Sonatina for violin & piano in G major ('Indian Lament'), B. 183 (Op. 100): Finale, Allegro

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CD Details

All Artists: Dvorak, Ax, Stern, Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma
Title: Dvorak: Piano Quartet No.2, Romantic Pieces
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 1
Label: Sony
Release Date: 4/18/2000
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Instruments, Strings
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 074646259726

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Dvorák's Second Piano Quartet is certainly among his greatest chamber music works. It overflows with meltingly beautiful melodies; masterfully constructed, strikingly original harmonically, its emotional range encompasses lilting, ingratiating lyricism; sublime ecstasy; and high drama. This performance by four renowned soloists, who know how to merge (but not submerge) their individual personalities into a unanimous whole, is wonderful, with Ax providing a strong, cohesive foundation and outstanding solos from Ma and Laredo. The recorded balance works against the violin, which tends to sound distant, but the rapport between the players is palpable. The quartet is a hard act to follow, though the other two works are inherently more lightweight: written for home use, the Romantic Pieces go from intimately songful to dramatically assertive and heartbreakingly mournful. The popular Sonatina, written in America for the composer's children to play, has a beguiling natural directness. Stern's performance is unduly sophisticated and manipulative; he seems not to trust the essential simplicity of the music to speak for itself. In the Pieces, on the other hand, a little more romantic ardor and freedom would have been welcome. --Edith Eisler

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CD Reviews

Another Chamber Classic

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 10/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is there a better Chamber Quartet out there than Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern, Jamie Laredo and Yo-Yo Ma? I think not. The men behind a string of brilliant Piano Quartet recordings by Brahms, Faure and Mozart, ring in the 21st Century with this terrific recording of Dvorak's Second Piano Quartet, Op. 87. Originally I considered purchasing, based on Amazon's recommendation, the Emerson String Quartet disc that couples this piece with Dvorak's Piano Quintet. But a knowledgeable friend had reservations about that title, and instead suggested Juilliard's Sony Essential Classic CD which features the Piano Quintet (with Rudolf Firkusny) and the "American" String Quartet. I am delighted to own that amazing disc, but it still left me needing to find an acceptable Piano Quartet recording. Well, this CD not only filled the void in my collection, but also the void in my life. Just kidding, but it is a first rate rendition of the Quartet. The disc's remaining material has pianist Robert McDonald joining Stern on Romantic Pieces for Violin and Piano and the Sonatina in G Major for Violin and Piano, and while the latter piece was written for Dvorak's kids, there is nothing amateurish about it. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, rewarding collection of Dvorak's music played lovingly and enthusiastically by some of today's master musicians."

A great addition to the Dvorak discography

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 08/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The fact that this CD has received only a single review since 2000 attests to the hard sell that faces chamber music. Even experienced listeners are not likely to have come across a live performance of Dvorak's Op. 87 Piano Quartet. Most ensembles automatically head for the more famous Piano Quintet. In any event, this is a beautiful mature work bursting with Dvorak's trademakr melodies and earthy energy. The passionate slow movement proves a major highlight. Dvorak's powers of development weren't the strongest, so one can't rank this work with the great piano quartets by Brahms and Mozart. It certainly comes close, however.

Needless to say, the star solists in the quartet are superb. However, Sony gives them rather rough, tight recorded sound. The recording was made in 1996 at Tanglewood in the new Seiji Ozawa Hall. The fillers, simple but charming parlor pieces for violin and piano, were recorded at George Lucas's Sykwalker Ranch in California (was Isaac Stern a Star Wars fan?) In all, this is a must-listen for chamber music lovers."