Guarneri trio Prague: Piani Trio - CD

It is no coincidence that the Czech lands are an interpretive power in the quartet field. The Czech String Quartets have historically had something to draw from: in the nineteenth century, Antonín Dvořák founded the Czech modern quartet tradition with his 14 compositions and Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) sealed it with his two quartet monuments.

The pair of Smetana Quartets was formed in the last phase of the composer' s creative career, when a deaf mature master reflects on his fatal illness. However, the works go far beyond mere intimate confession - they are magnificent artistic paintings, growing from purely personal positions to a generally human level. In addition to the Janáček Quartets, these are the most important compositions of their kind in Czech chamber literature, and the pioneering features of the Second Quartet have been praised several times by Arnold Schöberg.

Both of Smetana' s quartets have been sovereignly - as is the case with representative repertoire pieces - by the Panoch Quartet, which is currently completing the filming of Antonín Dvořák' s collective quartet work for Supraphon.

Playlist

Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in G minor, Op. 15
Moderato assai / Allegro ma non agitato / Finale - Presto / Fantasy for the Czech national song for violin and piano
From homeland, two duos for violin and piano
Moderato / Andantino - Moderato