Kathryn Stott and the Škampa Quartet play Dvorák’s Second Piano Quintet with a striking lightness and finesse. The opening theme, sung out by the cello, is touchingly held back, with dynamics carefully observed and none of that heavy-duty espressivo so often encountered in this piece. I also very much like the comparatively fleet account of the very rich second-movement Dumka; quite often it’s longer than the first movement. That said, it’s difficult not to feel that these players have sacrificed some of the music’s emotional range in pursuing their interpretive concept. Stott, in particular, while never less then accomplished, fails to characterize her part as have some famous artists of the past, both Czech and international (think Richter). The somewhat distant, pallid engineering may contribute to the impression that this performance is more interesting than it is involving.
Sonics are less of a problem in the Second String Quintet (with double bass). This superb but still relatively neglected piece from Dvorák’s early maturity, features one of his most beautiful slow movements, and once more it’s very well played, again with a touch of emotional reserve. Here, however, the absence of the more imposing presence of the piano seems to fit the comparatively gentle approach more successfully. The work itself is lighter in character, with the double bass’s participation emphasizing the conceptual similarity between this quintet and Mozart’s serenades (think Eine Kleine Nachtmusik). So if you are looking for a very nice reading of the string quintet and don’t mind a merely respectable version of the coupling, I can recommend this disc; but for the piano quintet, you really should explore other options, both on Supraphon and beyond.
