“Slavic Rhapsodies” presents emotionally charged works that exude drama and evoke a sense of Slavic nationalistic pride through uses of nostalgic folk melodies. Dvorak’s piano trio Dumky alternates between uninhibited wailing laments and more light-hearted cheerful dances. Fellow Czech composer and former student of Dvorak Vítězslav Novák traversed more tragic and darker emotions struggling between the unreservedly fervent folk melodies with emerging European modernism in his autobiographical piano trio Quasi una ballata. Additionally, the program includes the yearning yet optimistic second piano trio by Dora Pejačević, one of the most prominent 20th-century Croatian composers who was a pioneer in writing concertos and modern symphonies.
Program:
Antonín Dvořák – Piano Trio No. 4, Op. 90, “Dumky”
Vitĕzslav Novák – Piano Trio No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 27, Quasi una ballata
Dora Pejačević – Piano Trio in C major, Op. 29
Musicians:
