Georges Enescu’s Piano Quintet in a minor was composed over a period of several years, perhaps starting in the late 1920’s. He completed it in 1940. Dedicated to a wealthy Romanian princess, who had given him financial support as a young man, it was never publicly performed during his lifetime. It is in two large movements. The massive opening movement is in two sections, Con moto, molto moderato and Andante sostenuto e cantabile and lasts the better part of half an hour. Nonetheless, it maintains interest by virtue of its frequently contrasting moods and tempi. There is a sense of restraint, of a force seeking to break loose, but which is held back. The final movement, Vivace ma non troppo, begins with a dance-like main theme. The music again is full of strong contrasts. There are episodes of powerful forward motion and energy interspersed with more reflective and introspective ideas.
Georges Enescu (1881-1955) was a child prodigy on the violin and also the piano. He entered the Vienna Conservatory at age seven graduating at age 13. The next year he continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory. He became a violin virtuoso and famous teacher of the violin, but also devoted himself to composition which he studied with Massenet and Fauré. He is remembered today mostly for his two Romanian Rhapsodies for Orchestra, but he wrote in virtually every genre and produced a considerable amount of fine chamber music.
