PERFORMERS
- Emilie Anne Gendron, violin
- Guillermo Laporta, flute
- Josefina Urraca, piano
- Julia Yang, cello
- Matthew Cohen, viola
- Sarah K. Williams, visual Artist
ABOUT THE CONCERT
Enrique Granados (1867–1916), the Catalan pianist-composer celebrated for the Spanish color of Goyescas and the Danzas españolas, composed his Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 49, in the mid-1890s (sources give around 1895). An early chamber work pairing piano with string quartet, it unfolds with the grace and spontaneity that mark his style. The opening phrase, played in unison, immediately establishes the rhythmic character that runs through the piece; an atmosphere of passion and tension gives way to a more intense, expressive central section. Though Granados himself never regarded it as a major statement, the Quintet seduces with its lyrical charm and melodic generosity, offering an appealing glimpse of the composer before the fame of his mature Spanish masterpieces.