Program:
Antonín Dvořák: String Quintet op. 97 in E flat Major
Anton Bruckner: String Quintet in F Major
On September 4, 2024, Anton Bruckner would have been 200 years old. On this occasion, the Fernwood String Quartet, with guest Oana Potur on the 2nd viola, is going to perform Bruckner’s famous String Quintet in F Major, his only major work for chamber music. This wonderful music - less ‘bulky’ than his symphonies, but still showing off the essence of his composition techniques - was written in 1878/79, in between his 5th and 6th symphonies.
The quintet presents a captivating insight into the composer's lesser-explored chamber music repertoire.
The quintet unfolds in four movements, each a testament to Bruckner's mastery in handling smaller ensembles while retaining his distinctive harmonic palette and emotional depth.
The opening movement introduces a tapestry of melodies and harmonies, showcasing Bruckner's penchant for expansive themes, occasionally reminiscent of Wagnerian leitmotifs.
Throughout the work, subtle hints of Wagnerian harmonic daring can be detected, especially in the Quintet's nuanced use of chromaticism and expansive thematic development.
In the Adagio - a movement that rivals the expanses of Bruckner’s symphonic slow movements -, the emotional depth and poignant harmonic progressions echo Bruckner's admiration for Wagner's ability to evoke profound sentiments through music.
The program will open with Dvořák’s String Quintet op. 97 in E flat Major. He composed this wonderful work while vacationing in Iowa in 1893, in close proximity to his “American” String Quartet op. 96 and his 9th symphony “From the New World” op. 95. Like those works, it finely captures the inflection of Dvořák's Bohemian idiom with inspirations from American music.
The composer was greatly inspired by his surroundings and he was also in a highly positive frame of mind: after a long separation, he had been reunited with all his children, he was surrounded by nature and, moreover, he was in daily contact with the families of Czech emigres, who reminded him of his distant homeland.