Vítězslav Novák - Piano Trio No. 2, "Quasi una ballata", Op. 27

 

Vítězslav Novák

(5 December 1870 – 18 July 1949) was one of the most respected Czech composers

and pedagogues, almost singlehandedly founding a mid-century Czech school of composition. Stylistically, he was a leading figure in the neoromantic movement, and his music has been occasionally considered an early example of Czech modernism.

 

Piano Trio No. 2, "Quasi una ballata", Op. 27 (1902)

 

[Details Edition Silvertrust]
Although the trio is written in one movement, hence a ballad, it nonetheless follows traditional classical structure in that it has four succinct episodes or sections. It begins with an introductory Andante tragico, full of pessimism and though tonally advanced for the time, there are still traces, mostly rhythmical, of Moravian folk songs. This is followed by an Allegro which has a heroic theme for its main subject but it too is tinged with a sense of the tragic. Next comes a sarcastic scherzo, Allegro burlesco. In the fourth section, the Andante tragico is reprised, this time followed by a very dramatic Allegro which leads to a somber and funereal coda.

This trio, along with the Dumky of Dvorak and the Smetana, make up the foundation of the piano trio literature in the Czech Republic, yet sadly, it has been rarely if ever performed abroad. We hope professional groups will investigate and program this extraordinary work, which amateurs will also find worthwhile.