Antonín Dvořák : String Quintet in E flat major, op. 97

I. Allegro non tanto II. Allegro vivo III. Larghetto IV. Finale: Allegro giusto
Written in 1873 during his American visit, in Spillville, Iowa, the op. 97 quintet is the third of Dvořák's string quintets. The first, his op. 1, dates from 1861; the second (with a double-bass instead of a second viola), op. 77, from 1875. Like the so-called 'American' Quartet, written immediately previously, the op. 97 Quintet is in fact purely Bohemian in its forms and melodies. The slow movement, a double theme with five variations, is the very essence of Dvořák's love for his home country. A full-blooded performance from the Kapralova Quartet with guest violist Maxim Rysanov at the 2013 Indian Summer in Levoca festival..

[johnvenables]

I loved this recording, full of life and folk melodies. Our own (good amateur) group has just played it, and in practicing for this occasion I noted the timings of the 3rd and 4th movements, because these had given rise to most discussion beforehand. These are III 15.30-24.40; IV 25.09-33.11. Great to get the feel of it, John Venables

[davidyoung]

There is something very curious, to me at least, that occurs at 11:47. The first Viola plays this beautiful melody, later to be repeated by the first violin. At one spot and one spot only, the viola plays a double stop (at 11:47). The first violin does not play a double stop at the same location in the melody (12:49), even though it is playing the same theme later, an octave or two higher. I really wonder if the double stop is a mistake in the engraving of Dvorak's score. Don't get me wrong, the lower note of the double stop fits in with the harmony. But it seems so strange to write just one double stop for the whole melody. It doesn't make sense. It is not to sort of "clever idea" that Dvorak would do. I would love to see the original score and see if there is a scratch of the pen that was misinterpreted as a second note producing that double stop. I know that every published score has that double stop and everyone who plays this piece plays the double stop. But hasn't someone else considered that this might be a mistake? (I know, it doesn't ruin anything... it just sounds out-of-place. )