Romantic Masters

The works on this program wear their hearts on their sleeves. The first, the work of a young man with a brilliant career ahead of him and the other, by a well-known genius with an extremely prolific output. Czech composer and violinist, Joseph Suk was not only Antonín Dvořák’s star composition pupil but also the composer’s future son-in-law. Suk’s Op. 1 Piano Quartet is a tuneful, exciting, and easily accessible work that requires only to be enjoyed. Felix Mendelssohn, in 1845, had not only become one of the world’s most sought-after musicians, but also an overburdened administrator of his own fame. His Trio No. 2 was composed two years before his death while at the height of his commitments. It’s a serious work, from the turbulent first movement, to the song-without-words-style slow movement, to the signature Mendelssohnian gossamer scherzo, to the work’s most consequential movement, its finale.