Dvořák & Franck - Piano Quintets

This CD features two quite lovely piano quintets, beautifully played by a quartet of players from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Clifford Curzon at the piano. The first piece is by Antonin Dvorak, who composed two piano quintets. The first of these is a relatively early work that Dvorak composed in 1872 when he was 31. The second of his quintets was composed only 15 years later and remains one of his most popular chamber works.

The other piece on the CD is by César Franck and, along with his other major chamber works - the violin sonata and the string quartet - reminds the listener of the atmosphere of Franck's best known work, the symphony in d minor. The recordings are quite dated now, coming from the early 1960s, but I never tire of listening to such beautiful music so engagingly played. by Dr. H. A. Jones, Amazon

Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904)

Quintet for Piano and Strings no 2 in A major, Op. 81/B 155:

1. I. Allegro ma non tanto (10:14)

2. II. Dumka: Andante con moto (13:29)

3. III. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace (04:16)

4. IV. Finale: Allegro (07:41)

- Recorded: Sofiensaal, Wien, October 1962

César Franck (1822-1890)

Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, M 7

5. I. Molto moderato quasi lento. — Allegro (15:27)

6. II. Lento, con molto sentimento (10:04)

7. III. Allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco (08:10)

- Recorded: Sofiensaal, Wien, October 1960

Performers:

- Clifford Curzon (Piano)

Vienna Philharmonic String Quartet:

- Willi Boskovsky (Violin)

- Otto Strasser (Violin) 

- Rudolf Streng (Viola)

- Robert Scheiwein (Cello)

[1960-1988] DECCA / CBR320 / scans