winter warmer i:
slavic strings

Since its PCMF debut in 2022, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra has electrified audiences with heartfelt, joyously virtuosic performances. For the first concert in PCMF’s 2025 Winter Warmer season, ECCO members offer a rich tapestry of chamber music from Eastern Europe showcasing the uniquely expressive sounds of string instruments, opening with an intricate piece for four violins that blends Polish folk influences with a modernist edge. Dedicated to Tchaikovsky, Anton Arensky’s quartet for two cellos, violin and viola pairs cosmopolitan sophistication with richly resonant motifs from the Russian Orthodox mass, creating a soulful elegy that ends with a sentimental flourish. Finally, Antonin Dvorák’s Quintet No. 2 (for string quartet and double bass) features rollicking Bohemian dance rhythms and broad sweeping melodies, radiating joy and a vibrant, earthy energy.

PROGRAM:
Grażyna Bacewicz Quartet for Four Violins (1949)
Anton Arensky String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 35 (1894)
Antonín Dvořák String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 77 (1875)

RUN TIME: 1hr 45min