Bartók & Dvořák
Lineup
About the Event
Chamber Music with Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Born 40 years apart in what is now Hungary and the Czech Republic, Bartók and Dvořák infused the sounds of their homelands into their music. Bartók composed his First String Quartet while nursing the wounds of an unrequited love and finding his future wife. Fittingly, he described the opening movement as a “funeral dirge,” which dissolves into lighter, livelier themes that draw from folk melodies, including the Hungarian folksong “Fly, Peacock, Fly,” a metaphor for the liberation of the spirit.
Dvořák was so inspired after attending a memorable performance of Mozart’s Serenade in B-flat major, “Gran Partita,” he wrote his own Serenade for Wind Instruments in two weeks. Combing Classical elegance with Dvořák’s playfulness and tuneful Czech dances, it was lauded by Brahms as the composer’s best work to date.
A few months after completing the Serenade, Dvořák wrote the sunny and adventurous Bagatelles in just 12 days, solidifying 1878 as his breakthrough year for creativity and success.
Come early and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine before the performance, starting at 6:30pm.
Program
- Béla Bartók — String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7
- Antonín Dvořák — Bagatelles, Op. 47
- Antonín Dvořák — Serenade for Wind Instruments, Op. 44