On June 9, the concert at the National Forum of Music will feature works by Polish, British and Czech composers performed by the wonderful pianist Sophie Pacini and the Szymanowski Quartet.

Nocturne and Tarantella op. 28 by Karol Szymanowski is a work belonging to a lighter thread in the composer's oeuvre, originally intended for violin and piano. It is a pastiche of virtuoso pieces that were popular in the 19th century, stylized as gypsy and Italian music. Szymanowski created a work that combines opposites. On the one hand, there is a reference to popular pieces, not always of the highest caliber, on the other hand, these references do not stop the composer using a modern sonic language. As a result, an effective (and sometimes even showy!) work was created, full of humour and inventiveness.

The next piece in the programme, String Quartet No. 3 op. 94 by Benjamin Britten, is quite different. Ascetic, raw, concise, and at the same time full of emotions. The composition has an arched form. Its core is a melancholic slow movement (Solo), which is flanked by two quick links (Ostinato and Burlesque), and they are in turn flanked by two slow parts (Duets and Recitative and Passacaglia). The subtitle of the last movement, La Serenissima, indicates its inspiration. This was the term for the Venetian Republic. This movement also includes quotes from Britten’s opera A Death in Venice. The Third Quartet was the last work completed by this composer.

The last, longest and most extensive piece in the concert programme is Piano Quintet No. 2 op. 81 by Antonín Dvořák. It is unanimously considered by musicologists to be one of the greatest masterpieces for this line-up. It includes stylisations of folk melodies. The slow second movement is a dumka, or melancholic ballad, and the third is a sharp, dynamic Czech dance – furiant. Inventiveness in melodies, skillfully introduced contrasts and drama have made this work very popular since its premiere.