Dvorák’s two piano quartets are 14 years and whole worlds apart; the first (in D major, Op 23) youthful, optimistic, brimming with charming melody; the second (in E flat major, Op 87) mature, broad, sophisticated and altogether more profound. In those intervening years, Dvorák had grown from highly promising newcomer to a composer of international reputation. The London Bridge Trio (Daniel Tong, piano; Kate Gould, cello; Tamsin Waley-Cohen, violin) and viola player Gary Pomeroy capture perfectly the diverse qualities of these wonderful pieces, revelling in their Czech folk music influences in bravura displays of passion and commitment.
