Boston Chamber Music Society Presents: Mendelssohn, Rakowski, Dvořák

Quiet and melancholy at first, Mendelssohn’s Piano Quartet in F minor, Op. 2 grows into a compositionally and emotionally rigorous work befitting a composer well beyond Mendelssohn’s 14 years. The opening Allegro makes particular demands on the pianist, while the moto pertetuo finale displays Mendelssohn’s distinctive blend of prodigious ability and youthful joie de vivre.

Like the slow beginning of a rainstorm, David Rakowski’s Entre nous starts out with sparse pizzicato in the strings, gradually growing into a deluge of sound. The work’s title, which means “between us,” refers to the intricate relationships between the instruments as they quickly pass around musical themes. The work ends with what Rakowski calls a “devilish scherzo” that develops out of an opening tutti.

Composed in the wake of his mother’s death, Dvořák’s Piano Trio in F minor, Op. 65 is a serious four-movement work combining the composer’s signature lyricism and nationalistic influence. A passionate first movement is followed by a folk-inspired polka, while the third movement Adagio, opening with an expansive cello solo, will strike many listeners as a nod to Brahms.

Please contact the Boston Chamber Music Society Box Office with any questions regarding programming or ticketing details at 617-349-0086 or by emailing info@bostonchambermusic.org.