Presents
Josef Suk
Elegy for Piano Trio, Op.23
Josef Suk's Elegy for Piano Trio is one of two versions composed in 1902. The other was for violin, cello, strings, harp and harmonium. The Elegy commorates the death of the Czech poet Julius Zeyer, who had written a epic cycle of national poems, Vysehrad, based on Czech mythology. It was subtitled Under the impression of Zeyer's Vysehrad.
Josef Suk (1874-1935) was born in Krecovice in southern Bohemia, then part of Austria. He studied piano, violin and organ with his father who served as village choirmaster. His exceptional talent led to his being enrolled at the Prague Conservatory in 1885 at the age of 11 where he first studied violin. Eventually, he became a composition student of Antonin Dvorak. He graduated in 1891, and kept up a friendship with Dvorak, whose daughter he married in 1898. He formed what became the world famous Bohemian Quartet with three of his fellow students. Suk played second violin with the Quartet for most of his life. From 1922, he taught at the Prague Conservatory. Among his many students were the composer Bohuslav Martinu and the pianist Rudolf Firkusny. Suk served as the Conservatory's director after 1924, on and off, until the end of his life.
This is a deeply felt work which would make an excellent choice for a concert selection where a shorter work is required. It is about the third of the length of a standard piano trio
Parts: $17.95
