Dvorák's String Quintet with double bass can be counted among his finest chamber works (or actually among his finest works, period). It contains all of the composer's trademark compositional virtues: vibrant energy, gorgeous melodies, dancing rhythms, and an overall life-affirming spirit. There's spirit aplenty in the Vlach Quartet's joyous reading, augmented by Jakub Waldmann's double bass, which, thanks to Naxos' beautifully balanced, sonorous recording, adds a satisfyingly deep bottom to the ensemble sound. The Quintet originally contained five movements, but Dvorák removed the intermezzo and published it separately as the familiar Nocturno, which here receives an exquisitely tender and serene reading from the Prague players.


The tunes in Drobnosti (miniatures) will be recognizable to anyone familiar with Dvorák's Romantic Pieces for piano and violin, here in their original version for two violins and viola. This arrangement sounds slight after the robust tones of the preceding Quintet, but the delicate tunes nonetheless retain their power to enchant. Finally, the melancholy Andante appassionato (from an aborted early string quartet project), is notable for its beautiful tunes and an animated middle section that bears a striking stylistic resemblance to Tchaikovsky. In sum, a richly varied and highly enjoyable program. [12/19/2002]
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com