String Quintet in E flat major, Op.97

Like the “American” String Quartet in F Op.96, the Quintet in E flat Op.97 was written during Dvorak’s holiday with his family in the American-Czech community in Spillville, Iowa, in the summer of 1893. While it has much in common with that slightly earlier work, not least the echoes of the music of the Iroquois Indians who visited Spillville, the Quintet is richer in colour and at the same time less intimate in expression. Intimacies do show through, as on the unaccompanied entries of second viola and cello in the introduction to the first movement, but neither of the two main themes gives much away in terms of personal expression. One or the other of the violas occasionally has something more confiding to say, however.

In the second movement too, although it is basically a scherzo based on more Indian drumming rhythms, the first viola brings an expressive solo voice to the slightly slower middle section and finds some sympathy from others in the ensemble. The heart of the work is in the Larghetto, five variations on a lovely theme that begins in the minor and halfway through changes most touchingly to the major. The same pattern is preserved in each of the variations. If the rondo Finale is more on the surface, there is no lack of lyrical interest in the episodes between the recurrences of the main theme and the orchestral thrust of the coda is irresistible.

Like the “American” String Quartet in F Op.96, the Quintet in E flat Op.97 was written during Dvorak’s holiday with his family in the American Czech community in Spillville, Iowa, in the summer of 1893. While it has much in common with that slightly earlier work, not least the echoes of the music of the Iroquois Indians who visited Spillville, the Quintet is both richer in colour and less intimate in expression. It is as though the composer wanted to indulge himself in the luxury of having a second viola added to the string quartet texture without drawing too heavily on his emotions. Whatever his intentions, however, intimacies do show through, as on the unaccompanied entries of second viola and cello in the introduction to the first movement. Neither of the two main themes gives much away in terms of personal expression but towards the end of the exposition and during the development, where the other instruments are preoccupied with the dotted rhythms said to derive from Indian drumming, one or the other of the violas has something more confiding to say.

In the second movement too, although it is basically a scherzo based on more Indian drumming rhythms, the first viola brings an expressive solo voice to the slightly slower middle section and finds some sympathy from others in the ensemble. The heart of the work is in the Larghetto, five variations on a lovely theme that begins in the minor and halfway through changes most touchingly to the major. The same pattern is preserved in each of the variations, which are beautifully scored both for the projection of melody and in the elaboration of decorative detail, most imaginatively of all in the last two. If the rondo Finale is more on the surface, there is no lack of lyrical interest in the episodes between the recurrences of the main theme and the orchestral thrust of the coda is irresistible.

On the surface Dvorak’s Quintet in E flat scarcely seems to be in the same genre as Beethoven’s in C major. Indeed, in some ways it is more like a serenade for strings than true chamber music, offering excellent entertainment but not the private thoughts and emotions confided to the string quintet by Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. In comparison with the “American” String Quartet - which was also written during the composer’s summer holiday with the American Czech community in Spillville, Iowa, in 1893 - it is shy of revealing its feelings. But neither the superficial view nor the comparison with more expressive work does the Quintet justice.

The thoughtful solos on second viola and cello at the beginning of the first movement are promising. It is true that the energetic first subject, when it is eventually approached by way of double-stopped chords and fanfare flourishes, has nothing to do with the introductory solos. Nor has the G minor second subject with its persistent drumming rhythm (said by some commentators to have been derived from the dances of the Iroquois Indians observed by Dvorak in Spillville). But not much later, in the middle of the texture, below figurations associated with the second subject, the first viola gives voice to a passionate melody with the same kind of feeling if not the same notes as the introductory solos. Such intimacies occur at various point in the movement, always below the surface - twice in the development and once again in the recapitulation.

The B major Allegro vivo - with outer sections based on what is perhaps another American Indian rhythm - is not much concerned with the emotions. It does, however, include a B minor middle section which gives a countertheme from the first section room to express itself at a slower tempo. But the heart of the work is in the Larghetto, which is a theme and five variations with a coda. The theme begins in A flat minor (the enharmonic relative of the B major of the first movement) and halfway through changes to the major in an expression of faith worthy of Beethoven at his best. The same patten is preserved in each of the variations, which are beautifully scored both for the projection of melody and in the elaboration of decorative detail. The most imaginative are the last two - the fourth variation with its molto appassionato cello solo accompanied by tremolos on the other four instruments, and the fifth variation where the melody is accompanied by fragmentary interjections which might also have been written by Janacek.

The rondo Finale is almost all on the surface. The cheerful main theme conceals no profundities, and nor does the G minor first episode, although the (presumably American Indian) percussive ostinato is most subtly scored for the two violas. There is, however, much lyrical interest in the second episode which appears first in G flat major with the melody on second violin. When on its second appearance, it modulates from B major to E flat major it inspires a joyful coda of full-orchestral sonority.