Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81, B. 155
by Antonín Dvořák
Composed in 1887, Dvořák's Piano Quintet in A major is among the most beloved chamber works in the repertoire and a pinnacle of the Romantic piano quintet tradition. Its four movements move from an opening Allegro ma non tanto of sunny lyricism to a Dumka slow movement — an alternation of brooding meditation and spirited dance rooted in Ukrainian folk music — a fleet Furiant scherzo, and an irresistible finale. The work balances Brahmsian structural craft with Dvořák's distinctive melodic gift and his profound engagement with Bohemian and Slavic folk idioms.
Editions
Henle Verlag
Klaus Döge, 2007
Critical Urtext edition based on the autograph and first edition, with detailed critical commentary. The preferred scholarly text.
Bärenreiter
Milan Pospíšil, 1997
Critical edition from the Dvořák Complete Works series, incorporating all available manuscript sources.
Simrock
Editorial staff, 1888
First edition, published by Dvořák's main publisher Fritz Simrock. Historical reference text still useful for comparative study.