Antonín Dvořak: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 87
Perhaps because it foils preconceptions about what Dvořák’s music should sound like, the Piano Quartet No. 2 is often overlooked. But it’s masterfully written and full of surprises.
Category: Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach: Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother, BWV 992
Bach almost never crossed his keyboard music with drama or narrative. In fact, Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother may be his only instrumental work to tell a story so overtly.
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 76, No. 4, “Sunrise”
The sunrise is in the first measures—the first violin peaks up from a gentle dissonance. And so the day begins: mostly sunny, with a chance of clouds in the slow movement.
Johannes Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111
It would make sense for a viola quintet to start with the violas—but no, Brahms has the cello dive in with a wild solo across most of its range, springing across strings and punctuating with rolled chords, all while the other instruments gleam together above.
Johannes Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
While many composers might set out to write a piano quintet, for Brahms it was simply the best ensemble in which to house a musical idea.
György Ligeti: Musica ricercata
Musica ricercata was written for the “bottom drawer”— Ligeti knew it could not be performed in Hungary behind the Iron Curtain. But for him alone, it was a new beginning, built from the most basic musical elements.
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Trio in E-flat major, Op. 3
Beethoven was best known as a pianist, but he also played violin and viola, and this is his first published work for strings alone.
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4
In 1772 Charles Burney visited Vienna and reported hearing “exquisite quartets by Haydn,” probably from Op. 20. The D-major quartet is richly colored, frequently inflecting into minor.
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in C major, Op. 33, No. 3, “The Bird”
Haydn’s “The Bird” quartet sheds much of the drama and gloom of his middle period. Grace notes suggest the chirping birds of the nickname.
Claude Debussy: Syrinx for Solo Flute
Debussy’s Syrinx is the piece that launched a thousand solo flute pieces. Its two-and-a-half minutes are evocative and filled with color.