Zdeněk Fibich - Piano Quartet (1874)

Zdeněk Fibich

 

( 21 December 1850 – 15 October 1900) was a Czech composer of classical music.

 Piano Quartet (1874)

I. Allegro Moderato - 00:00
II. Theme and Variations - 10:34
III. Allegro Energico - 23:52

"Fibich's Piano Quartet is written with a profound knowledge of technique indispensable for chamber music. Upon publication, it won praise from every quarter. It is remarkable for its power and richness of invention as well as for the closely woven character of the ensemble, there being only five themes in the entire work. The first movement, Allegro moderato, is built on two lyrical themes. The second movement, Thema con variazione, has but one with eight ingenious variations that follow. The finale, Allegro energico, has two of its own, but all five are repeated toward the end of the work."

Fibich, in contrast to either Dvorak or Smetana, was the product of two cultures, German and Czech. He had been given a true bi-cultural education. And during his formative early years, he had lived in Germany, France and Austria in addition to his native Bohemia. He was perfectly fluent in German as well as Czech. All of these factors were important in shaping his outlook and approach to composition. In his instrumental works, Fibich generally wrote in the vein of the German romantics, first falling under the influence of Weber, Mendelssohn and Schumann and later Wagner. It seems, that like Tchaikovsky, Fibich did not wish to write music that merely sounded nationalistic. And therein lies the reason that Fibich has never been held in the same regard by his countrymen as either Dvorak and Smetana or even Janacek. Yet Fibich was the first of any Czech composer to use native Czech folk melody in his works and these melodies, though not as pronounced as in Dvorak's, nonetheless can be heard in most of his works.