The Pražák Quartet's second violinist, Vlastimil Holek, plays a violin made by Paolo Albani in 1790.
Composition History
Smetana's Piano Trio (1855) was written as a 'tombeau' (memorial) for his young daughter, whom he had recently lost to scarlet fever.
Performer Biography
The Pražák Quartet was formed in 1972 by students at the Prague Conservatoire and has since performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including New York's Carnegie Hall.
Critical Reception
The Piano Trio's premiere in 1855 was not a resounding success, with its reception limited to Smetana's small circle of nationalistic friends.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Smetana intended his String Quartet No. 1, 'From my life', to be an autobiographical work, tracing the unfolding of his life in music.
Composer Biography
Bedřich Smetana, the composer, suffered irreversible hearing loss in October 1874, which led him to withdraw from public life.
Compositional Technique
The String Quartet No. 1 includes a high E note in the finale, which Smetana described as the 'strident, fatal whistling' that marked the onset of his deafness.
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