Altenberg Trio

Compared to the First Trio written a year earlier, the Second Piano Trio from 1876 is much more of a characteristic Dvorák composition. Dvorák shared Brahms' need to give each voice, no matter how minor, an intrinsic musical value. This work is a typical example of his more proportioned, classical approach to chamber music. The last of the four piano trios, the 'Dumky' trio, is by far the most popular. It was written in 1891, just before Dvorák set off for the United States to become the director of the National Conservatory in New York. The title is the plural of the word 'dumka', a literary term for a lamentation that is usually quite emotionally charged. The 'dumka' inspired Dvorák with a melancholic atmosphere which he contrasted with joyful, fast passages. The structure of the dumka dance in no way hindered Dvorák: in six movements, he displays an astonishing versatility of colours and voices. His genius elevates the Slavic mixture of joy and sorrow to an utter masterpiece.