We begin with Antonín Dvořák’s String Quintet in G major, op. 77, a work composed in his early thirties, when he was just beginning to attract real international attention. Originally written for a national competition (which he won), this quintet includes a double bass instead of a second viola, a choice that gives the music both warmth and bounce. The piece is full of open landscapes, Czech rhythms, and rustic joy, but it's never simplistic. Dvořák weaves folk charm into a classical framework with remarkable finesse. It’s a piece that smiles often but thinks deeply.

After the pause, we enter the world of Franz Schubert’s "Trout" Quintet, one of the most beloved chamber works in the repertoire. Written when Schubert was just 22, it was commissioned during a countryside holiday by a wealthy amateur cellist who specifically asked Schubert to include a set of variations on his popular song Die Forelle (The Trout). Like the Dvořák, this quintet uses a double bass to expand the sonority, and to lighten the texture, allowing for the sparkle and clarity Schubert wanted. The music is radiant, generous, and full of youthful imagination, but with the unmistakable undercurrent of Schubertian bittersweetness.

Both works reflect a deep love of nature, folk melody, and spontaneous joy, but also a quiet defiance of expectation. These are not pieces that follow all the rules. They stretch forms, swap instruments, and embrace the unpredictable, just like the river that runs through the heart of their world.