Musica Ricercata
December 12 @ 7:30 pm
This program pairs two masterworks linked by the idea of “ricercata,” or “sought music.”
The concert opens with György Ligeti’s Musica ricercata (1951-53) in a new arrangement. The title is literal: Ligeti’s goal was to “build a new music from nothing,” with each of the eleven movements systematically adding new pitches. You may recognize parts of it from the popular Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet, which were drawn from this original piano work.
This theme of searching continues with Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81. This radiant, beloved work is the result of Dvořák’s own 15-year search for the perfect quintet. After destroying his first attempt (Op. 5), he returned to the form to create this undisputed masterpiece of chamber music.