PIANO QUINTETT IN C MAJOR, OP. POSTH I. MOLTO PLACIDO | Olga Kopylova

Nikolai Medtner

Piano Quintett in C Major, op. Posth.
I. Molto Placido

Olga Kopylova - piano
Adrian Petrutiu - 1 violin
Sung Eun Cho - 2 violin
Horacio Schaefer - viola
Heloísa Meirelles - cello

Live recording at Fundacao Maria Luiza and Oscar Americano, august 2022


The Piano Quintet has a very special place among Medtner’s works. The composer himself regarded it as the synthesis or summary of all his work and, indeed, worked on it throughout his life. The first sketches date back to 1903/4 and it was only completed in 1949. This work, which was destined to be his last, combines freshness of inspiration with great mastery of composition.
The first movement expresses what can only be described as a theme of Hope and Faith. It opens with a large introduction in which the epic theme flows broadly and solemnly. The new subject in the central section reminds one of the famous medieval tune Dies irae. The next and final part, the Maestoso, is essential to the whole being of the Quintet: here the composer introduces a motif which has deep autobiographical meaning. It is written as if to the words of the Gospel passage ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now; you will have your fill. Blessed are you who weep now; you will laugh for joy’. A coda combines the two themes ‘Dies irae’ and ‘Blessed’ in a manner reminiscent of bells.

(Text from Hyperion records)