Bohuslav Martinů’s music comes alive with a sunny, exuberant neoclassicism. In this nonet, we hear a motley collection of woodwinds and strings playfully prodding each other in rhythmic dialogues and singing to each other with radiant melodies.

Janáček’s four-movement piano cycle is intimate, personal and emotionally direct music. Small melodic fragments from the sound world of Moravian folk music are repeated and transformed in various ways. In the Mists paints an enchanting misty atmosphere, but which carries all kinds of images; this is a masterful composition full of heartbreaking stories and magic.

Dvořák’s String Quintet No.2 has an unusual scoring. The addition of the double bass to the standard quartet adds extra depth and a sense of space, contributing greatly to the work’s special character. A sparkling work full of flashy and energetic rhythmic passages interspersed with sunny cantabiles.

A morning programme with the unique tingle of spring!