Program

Joseph Haydn – String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 33 No. 2, “The Joke”
Grażyna Bacewicz – String Quartet No. 3
Antonín Dvořák – String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 51

Good humor seems to define this program of works. Ever the musical prankster, Haydn enjoys pulling a fast one on the audience in the finale of his Quartet in E flat major, Op. 33 No. 2 “The Joke,” and to be honest, we do too! Grażyna Bacewicz’s Third String Quartet is imbued with a sense of optimism and almost childlike wonder that we find particularly infectious. Dvorak’s Quartet No. 10 in E flat major is full of charming Bohemian folk themes that feel like a warm embrace. Even in the sorrowful “Dumka” elegy, the composer can’t help but break out into a lively dance to break the tension.