István Lajkó & David Oistrakh Quartet Presented by Liszt Academy

The string quartet named after David Fyodorovich Oistrakh, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, comprises four excellent Russian artists who have significant careers not only as chamber musicians but as soloists as well. They open their programme with a string quartet by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, in fact his last, composed in 1847. This is followed by compatriot Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1. On hearing the folk-inspired, melancholic second movement at the première in 1871, famous author and philosopher Leo Tolstoy burst into tears. The 1887 Piano Quintet No. 2 by Antonín Dvořák is also known for its moody second part. The movement is titled Dumka: the expression, of Ukrainian origin, refers to an epic ballad of melancholic character. Pianist István Lajkó, professor at the Liszt Academy, performs in the work. When writing the quartet dedicated to the memory of his sister, the composer could not have suspected that this work would also be his swansong.