An Evening with the Loki String Quartet

Dvorak • Terzetto
Schubert • Rosamunde

♫ Dvorak Terzetto ♫
The Dvorak Terzetto is for two violins and viola. The reason for this relatively uncommon instrumentation is that Dvorak, a violist, wrote it to play with two friends of his who were amateur violinists. The piece turned out to be too difficult for one of them, however, and he later composed an easier piece for the same instrumentation. The Terzetto is in four movements: an introduction, a larghetto, a scherzo, and a theme and variations. It is full of the beautiful melodies and romantic harmonies which characterize Dvorak.

♫ Schubert Rosamunde Quartet ♫
Schubert’s Quartet 13 in A minor is known as “Rosamunde” because the beautiful slow movement theme is based on the incidental music he wrote for a play of the same name. Schubert is primarily known for his songs, and in this piece he very successfully applies his songwriting mastery to the string quartet genre. The melodies have a distinctive vocal cadence, and each movement could serve as the basis for a Schubert song.