Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 77
Antonin Dvorák

Antonin Dvorák was born to a butcher father in the village of Nelahozeves, a small town near Prague. Despite his plans to follow the family business, Dvorák's musical aptitude quickly emerged, prompting him to seek musical instruction. For the Umeùlecká Beseda competition of 1875, Dvorák composed this long String Quintet in G major for two violins, viola, cello and double bass.

This work, entitled To My Nation, was a very patriotic composition dedicated to his homeland, Bohemia, and won a monetary prize for its uniqueness. The composer had not shown such musical creativity before, and the singular qualities of the string quintet were considered entirely novel by his Bohemian listeners. The inclusion of the double bass as the fifth instrument in a traditional string quartet was unexpected. Similarly, Dvorák was one of the first composers to elevate the cello part to a higher register, giving it a more lyrical melodic role, and combining it with the double bass to give it greater intensity.

Dvorák wanted to add a fifth movement to the traditional four to reinvent the structure of the piece. As a result, the G major Quintet No. 2 incorporated a slow movement from an earlier composition in E minor. But he eventually gave up on the idea and decided to publish the extra movement, an intermezzo, as a separate piece denominated Nocturne.

The opening movement of the quintet consists of two ideas that are repeated in the first and third movements, similar to traditional sonata form standards. The scherzo-like outer sections are contrasted by a trio part, which is similar to the scherzo movements that usually precede the inner sections in this composition. The fast rhythms of the theme and the change from a peaceable harmony to a more powerful tone were the inspiration for one of Dvorák's signature aesthetics, so-called Slavic.

The slower sections highlight Dvorák's lyrical style - intimate and delicate. On an emotional level, the ascending and expanding melodic features of this work’s themes convey strong feelings in search of the final resolution. The finale is structured as a rondo and is thematically related to the previous parts. This concluding movement, which begins with an elegant display of scales, is thematically linked to the previous movements from the beginning, with fewer overt bohemian allusions and more allusive of his mature compositions.

The Quintet in G major No. 2 commemorates a significant milestone in Dvorák's professional career as a composer. He earned notoriety and repute as a result of it. Following this accomplishment, he was granted, for the first time, a state scholarship, which enabled him to devote his whole time and energy completely to his creative endeavors.

Program Notes written by Cristian Martinez Vega