Dvořák - American Quartet, Prazak Quartet

[@kaistinakemperdahl9667]

Some pieces can’t be overplayed because they’re too wonderful. This is one of them.

[@bsusak09]

This is FAR superior to any version I’ve heard of American Quartet. Their inflection and understanding of the little details gives me goosebumps. BRAVO!!

[@glennvleminckxdx6767]

Melodious, but not Czech.

[@bsusak09]

@@glennvleminckxdx6767I never said anything about Czech Republic haha

[@martavdz4972]

@@glennvleminckxdx6767 What are you talking about? They´re Czech. I´m Czech and this feels perfect.

[@jasckon7994]

Their hair only make this amazing piece better.

[@narwen533]

+Jackson Wymer haha yes. the cellist looks so badass ;D

[@raywalsh1328]

Their hair. Dvorak ha ha

[@wilmerrodriguez5004]

What are the odds that I’ll see your post on KZbin haha?!

[@ellajanovi671]

haha! indeed!

[@jasckon7994]

@@wilmerrodriguez5004 lmao I only just saw your reply!

[@amberm2778]

The best team playing this quartet as far as I have seen.

[@merlhay8278]

The Prazak Quartet are a wonderful ensemble, recording some of the best string quartet performances I own. This is indeed one such performance. Their phrasing and rhythms, back then, were a joy to listen to.

[@lsmart]

For those who inquired about individual players, if I am not mistaken: 1) Player first seen at 00:07 is violist Josef Kluson. 2) Player first seen at 00:15 is 1st violinist Vaclav Remes (replaced in 2011 by Pavel Hula). 3) The first player seen at 00:23 is (David Bowie lookalike) cellist Michal Kanka. 4) The first player seen at 00:55 is 2nd violinist Vlastimil Holek.

[@edwardmontoya50]

Lol

[@aldphillip2003]

Cellist's hair is absolutely perfect!

[@StellaBCM]

HE is ALL perfect

[@johnryan5921]

wow, he plays that viola like its a viola.

[@gpgara]

John Ryan Lolz... [Insert Futurama Fry Meme Here] Not sure if it's an insult or a compliment.

[@HC-fq7rl]

Yeah insult or compliment

[@IgnisDivine]

+John Ryan Compliment obviously

[@amberm2778]

Many people play the viola like a bigger violin. but it's not.

[@dellcano]

.

[@scarlettgallery8992]

The hair on the cellist...

[@chuck4fve]

Fantastic playing. Georgious tone, phrasing, musicianship, passion. The whole nine yards.

[@vtpp82a1]

I have heard this quartet many times but this is the first time I have heard it played by the Prazak group. This performance is superior to all others I have ever heard. Bravo!

[@bsusak09]

I literally just wrote this and then read your comment! Definitely agree with you. FAR superior

[@_quella4808]

yes this is the best version i think!!!!

[@martavdz4972]

Well, they´re Czech like Antonín Dvořák... In my experience, most Czech composers can be interpreted excellently by anyone in the world, but Dvořák has something in him that only Czechs can interpret well. And perhaps the neighbouring nations, Austrians do Dvořák very well, too. That´s saying nothing against other musicians, though. Bernstein´s interpretation of the 9th symphony is absolutely fascinating. It just doesn´t have that tiny little Czech je ne sais quoi.

[@lizedreyer7069]

Definitely one of my favorite quartets, the first movement in particular. The constant mood changes are masterfully executed by the Prazak Quartet.

[@michelevolz7769]

Love these guys when they are playing from the home team!💕

[@elgatosucio]

First violinist: amazing vibrato.

[@edwardmontoya50]

Flawless and a true gift to be able to experience with technology. Imagine being in the same room.

[@VassilikiKravari]

Mon cœur pleure quand je regarde le super premier violon, qui a été obligé d'arrêter de jouer à cause d'un problème de main. Cher Vaclav, il était l'âme du quatuor! Il reste l'altiste enthousiaste, et l'excellent Kanka, le celliste, mais il n'y a plus "les Prazak". Qui nous ont offert tant de moments d'émotion. Pour lesquels notre reconnaissance est grande. Et elle va à tous.

[@Hen-jm8zj]

Wow this is incredible. One of the most beautiful melodies ever written...

[@VassilikiKravari]

Un chef d'œuvre magnifique d'un immense génie. Qui a trouvé les interprètes idéaux...

[@jgassman]

This might be my favorite performance of this piece. Clear, concise, and with the melodic power of Dvorak. Great job dudes. I wonder what these four are up to these days.

[@eg443]

Hi, if you google Prazak Quartet you get on their website and as you’ll see, the group has changed. But the violist is still part of it. The cellist plays in many different quartets and ansambles, i think you’ll find it if you google their names. :))

[@peternolan4107]

I first heard this quartet in 1979 or 1980 at a Dvorak festival in Spillville, Iowa, the Czech town the composer spent his summers in when he was in the U.S. I loved it then, but this performance is almost heartbreakingly beautiful. I keep playing it over and over again.

[@nicolettagiavotto7385]

Una esecuzione eccezionale per il coinvolgimento e la precisione nonche' la passione. Bravissimi e assolutamente degni di Dvorak.

[@niovi712]

I love second movement!!! Dvorak is the absolutely composer for cello and for strings!!

[@kaistinakemperdahl9667]

I remember the first time I heard this on the radio and fell in love. Some 30 years later, I’m still dreaming of finding people to play this with. Such sublime music!

[@RodicaOfficiel]

Merveilleuse oeuvre, magnifique interprétation !!!

[@ivangalvan1406]

I fell in love with this piece years ago when I started playing in my high school orchestra. I still come back years later to revisit one of the best quartet cover of this movement.

[@windstorm1000]

life affirming, joyful, completely melodic--the feelings of Dvorak while he was composing this is quite palatable--equal parts Czech, Iowa prairie and 100 percent of this wonderful warm hearted composer. Bless him.

[@steveschwieterman9109]

Windstorm1000. What a wonderful comment! And he did such a great job of iintegrating those beautiful melodies (as usual).

[@jennyku5685]

What a beautiful sound,It is very best performance !!!!! So good !

[@eadieanelli5517]

Incredible performance. Beginning to end. The Lento is sublime.

[@prabhudhasivanson7110]

What a splendid performance!

[@nicolettagiavotto7385]

Una musica meravigliosa adoro Dvorak.

[@Rx-mn5fv]

Strong incisive rendition with great phrasing emphasizing the singing lines. Rewarding to view and ingest. Bravo!

[@sonofbartleby]

The slow movement has haunted me since I was a boy. Thanks for uploading this lovely version (more truly Lento than many I've heard).

[@nina9266]

Martin Geeson I couldn’t agree more!

[@gypaete95]

Ce quatuor est un grand quatuor et Prazak Quartet est à sa hauteur.

[@ChenLiYaun]

i love the tone

[@ayoanigokah6127]

wonderful! One of the best performances.

[@nowhh1828]

Love this Dvorak string quartet forever. It's like never-ending beautiful melody throughout all four movements. This performance is a treat, too. Thank you for uploading and hope lots of people finds some peace of mind and consolation in this beautiful, beautiful music in this era of anxiety.

[@pesterlig]

Still listening and loving this so much.

[@ninaschepers]

it's so peacefull and lovely quartett for your heart in this hard times of living..

[@pesterlig]

I listen to this almost everyday lately. Thank you so much for posting it. You play it so beautifully. Thank you for your music!!!1

[@bloopideebloop]

god i dont know why but the more i watch this video the more endearing and delightful i find these musicians! they are so wonderful and seem to enjoy what theyre doing so much, its really admirable

[@らてまちゃ]

懐かしい我が家を思い出します。姉がいつも練習をしていました。私はその横で、宿題をやっていました。その頃に感じていた不安や希望が胸に蘇るよう。

[@huincas54]

...realmente un placer esta pieza, y sobretodo el 2do Mov, de una belleza melódica, que llama mi atención...el cuarteto muy afinado con excelente sonido..Bravo!!!

[@HenJack-vl5cb]

A fascinating performance.

[@ditto303]

I like the camera work here, who ever filmed/cut/edited it was paying attention to the music

[@Gwaithmir]

I have a copy of this piece on audio cassette. I used to listen to it on my trips to Pennsylvania to buy fireworks.

[@paulefstathiou1819]

Great Music : Excellent Musicians & Composition !!!

[@rafaelvidal2762]

This is one of the best things that my ears could hear.

[@sammie4995]

Loving this piece especially 'Lento'

[@LadyArt123]

...what a wonderful virtuous, harmonious performance! I am thankful to you ...

[@specialrelationship]

BEAUTIFUL! So fun to listen to and watch. What a pleasure.

[@andre1214g]

Personally, I find your interpretation of this quatour of Dvorak (and I know several other ones by the most famous ensembles) is the best, by far. A rare melting of sonorities, balance, phrasing and dynamics. All my congratulations, bravo!! and thank you for uploading this fabulous Prazak Quartet.

[@oagsus]

such great music-one could listen to it all day

[@victoriabyrne4303]

A wonderful interpretation, I agree with comments already expressed. This quartet makes such intelligent sense of the transitions between the different motifs. Have been feasting on this piece performed by different people I think this is my favourite yet.

[@dariokarim9739]

I heard the lento part of this piece when i was in Vienna played by not-so-good players, but even so I loved the piece and the moment I got back to my country I listened to this on KZbin! Wonderful, yet again!

[@shin-i-chikozima]

The comfort and wonderfulness of Dvorak‘s music are irreplaceable , and off the charts. This masterpiece which is full of the exotism leads me into the wonderful world of comfort

[@martavdz4972]

Me too! Only for me, it´s the opposite of exotic - I only heard it when I was 23 but it felt like I´d known it all my life. (I´m Czech and as a student, I shared a flat with Dvořák´s great-great-niece 🙂 ) I know there are some other influences in this quartet but to me, it´s quintessentially Czech. I see Czech landscapes when I listen to it 🙂 the Czech hills, the small crucifixes at crossroads, the small houses with red roofs, the quiet fishing ponds, the twittering sparrows...

[@shin-i-chikozima]

@@martavdz4972 Thankyou so much to your wonderful and stellar comment. May your great country be glorious ！ Someday please come to our Japan where loves your country. Soon cherry blossoms in full bloom in everywhere in Japan Be on the alert for the infection. I hope you are well

[@LadyArt123]

...powerful and sublime, sensitive and full of imagination, I can't stop listening... happy I found this performance here on KZbin... just wonderful!

[@MarianoCardilloMusic]

intensità pazzesca

[@samdajellybeenie14]

God that viola sound in the beginning!!! Ahh!! No other recording quite lives up to this recording in every way in my opinion.

[@Christian-tw7me]

For my Opinion one of the Best Recordings..

[@lucpicard6851]

Une des plus belles compositions de musique de chambre...

[@yj7895123]

Oh.. what happen to them? Stunning, indeed. One of great moments which we met performing string quartet.

[@edwardmontoya50]

I get rich dark musky coffin dust vibe from the viola. An amazing tone and interpretation.

[@Thalazac]

Interprétation magnifique... très émouvantes

[@abelardoavendano6013]

The viola sounds superb!

[@mikiooki5996]

22/05/2014 Dvorak Hall で　Ｐａｖｅｌ　Ｈａｓｓ　Ｑｕａｒｔｅｔ　の演奏を聴きに行きます。楽しみです。

[@mikiooki5996]

good

[@ascenbach1]

great performance. Great video,too. not only well worth listening to,but well worth watching.

[@rkentburke]

Only one word comes to mind: FABULOUS!

[@davidyoung6331]

There is something curious about the various published parts for this piece. If you listen at 21:18 to 21:20, all four instruments play the same rhythm: "8th note, 8th rest, 8th rest, 8th note" in the 2/4 time signature for two measures. This is how the full score shows the music, so The Prazak Quartet plays that section "correctly." But there must be a set of parts (from a different publisher, I suppose) where the viola plays, on the low "f" the rhythm "8th note, 8th rest, 8th note, 8th rest" which is incorrect according to the score. There are several quartets that play the mistake, so it must be a transcription error in the viola part rather than a true mistake on the part of the players. Listen to the Emerson quartet and the Crimson String Quartet play this movement, and they both play the "mistake." And there are several others. But most quartets play the part correctly, as does the Prazak here. In the score, the measures in question are 4 and 3 measures prior to rehearsal number 8 in the fourth movement. I just wonder which publisher has the correct part and which publisher has the incorrect transcription.

[@jto1916]

The cellist reminds me of David Bowie. lol. Great performance guys!

[@michalkanka6787]

No, on the contrary, Bowie reminds you the cellist :-)))

[@jto1916]

Yeah, you got it spot on! lol

[@danmoriarty610]

My favorite classical piece.

[@mcrettable]

Really out of how many thousand? Lol

[@madisont3123]

i love this! and these guys are amazing!

[@allisonbartz1925]

I love this piece! ...and their hair.

[@ozoztaroo]

昭和４９年に音楽の授業で聞いて以来、久しぶりに聴きました。なかなかgoodですね。

[@LNcello]

Stayed till the end, couldnot unglue myself! Catching.

[@funkacelloik]

Wonderful quartet! Another one added to my list of quartets I'd like to play someday. And a wonderful cello part too. :)

[@antoniofuiano4669]

Magnifico quartetto ottima qualita’

[@gogoguevaramolina2458]

Hermoso pero porque se me salen las lágrimas al escuchar esto😢😭😢😭😢😭😢

[@musicfirst5020]

Stunning. Wow!

[@leoser84]

Couple of talented people played the 4th movement today during our break in orchestra. We were all blown away and loved every second.

[@charlesmchugh8811]

Great video! Very imaginative. I just love this quartet and this is an excellent performance.

[@BryanHo]

Phenomenal!

[@iwakihiroyuki305]

L'alto est très magnifique.

[@notaire2]

Tiefempfundene live Aufführung dieses melodischen Meisterwerks mit perfekt kontrollierten Töne aller Streicher. Einfach wunderbar!

[@parsonw]

Hope I could play this master piece one day.

[@natasha7485]

wow the energy is great

[@Securitsu1]

The importance of not having a silly face when you play! Haha! Love the violist! :)

[@sushiknittingowls]

Third movement starts at 15:10

[@MiksCasal]

woah nice niceeee!

[@antoniomastroberardino7029]

This is truly fabulous.

[@fukuchan28]

Vídeo e música bonita, chegamos na manhã de um domingo agradável. Obrigado!：）

[@theliweli]

4:37 Cello part is so gorgeous 1:38 Violin 1 part is also beautiful

[@たかはし-p3x]

凄い、これを弾く時参考にしたい

[@orku5529]

fabuleux magnifique

[@orku5529]

tu as résond

[@zdenek1113]

Very expressive, yet musically very disciplined. Bravo!

[@laurentiumihalyi]

no words.....thanks for share!

[@magdalenakrchnava3633]

bravissimo..

[@BoonsriVapeeso43]

Very good.

[@mcrettable]

my favorite performance of this on YT

[@antoniong1449]

Does anyone know where they were supposed to be playing? I mean the place you can see at 8:30, 9:55, etc. I suppose it's not far away from Prague, but I can't find out anything else in internet

[@martavdz4972]

Nope, not near Prague, definitely not in the Czech Republic. This is Western European architecture. The landscape also looks... sort of flatter and damper than we have here in Czechia. The damp climate is also suggested by the bare bricks. All Czech chateaus have plaster on the walls. I think it´s in the Netherlands or Belgium, because there´s a Dutch title at the beginning of the video. But it might also be France or England.

[@martavdz4972]

GOT IT! It´s Kasteel Wissekerke in Belgium. (Kasteel means "castle", "chateau" or "mansion"").

[@antoniong1449]

@@martavdz4972 Thank you! Every time I show this video to my students, someone asks me about the place. After so many years I've finally got the answer!

[@NT-kr6dn]

*Picture of castle* Me: "Can I just see the players?"

[@martavdz4972]

The Belgian water chateau and the swans helped me a lot, though. I listened to Lento all the time when the mass invasion to Ukraine started in 2022. I'm Czech like Dvořák and the musicians, there's a lot of Ukrainians here in Czechia and they were in a frenzy. For a couple of days, it even looked like Pu*in might not stop in Ukraine and attack us. Lento and the swans - that was what kept me going.

[@ruexcited2WholeHearted]

Sublime right before the 7 minute mark!