Lately I have a lot of déjà vu, when I see the records I listen to. Did I already write about this particular record? Sure, the work I already wrote about, for sure. But I also must have written about this record. Did I buy this a second time perhaps? Turns out I didn’t, and I also only wrote about the second piano quintet, the opus 81.
The first piano quintet is an interesting story. When Dvořák wrote it, he was still an unknown and insignificant composer. The premiere in 1872 was not really a success, and Dvořák dropped it. He even destroyed the manuscript, something he did a lot in those early days.
Success and fame came with Slavonic and Moravian wings: small but popular works using motives from these countries. In 1888 Dvořák decided to take a look again at his earlier attempt at the genre of the piano quintet. He had to ask a friend to get him a copy, and he got to work.
Gradually he found himself working on a totally new composition: his second piano quintet was born. It is that work that is now considered one of the best works in chamber music. Again the opus 5 was lost, now for decades longer. Eighteen years after his death, Dvořák’s first attempt was recovered and restored.