Janacek, Britten and Brahms

Janek Violin Sonata; Britten String Quartet in C major, Op. 36; Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34; Harumi Rhodes, Bayla Keyes, violins; Roger Tapping, viola; Astrid Schween, cello; Benjamin Hochman, piano; By turns passionate and pensive, Janacek's Violin Sonata is filled with echoes of Moravian folk music and the promise of his opera Katya Kabanova. Britten's String Quartet in C major, written to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Henry Purcell's death, is based on Purcellian themes and structures. Considered to be Brahms' great chamber music epic, the Piano Quintet in F minor underwent several transformations before Brahms was finally satisfied with it, showing rigorous Classical structural ideals with a Romantic sense of emotion.