Quintessence

In their first collaboration, Flinders Quartet and Paavali Jumppanen explore two powerful piano quintets that blend introspective depth with the intensity of their composers’ complex political landscapes. 

Shostakovich’s quintet emerged just after he faced severe censure from Soviet authorities. With Stalin’s regime policing artistic expression, Shostakovich often navigated a delicate balance, creating music that subtly veiled his personal and political sentiments. The quintet’s opening fugue, with its weighty, introspective quality, and the darker, tense undertones of subsequent movements, can be heard as a restrained expression of resilience amid oppression, as the composer walked a fine line to avoid accusations of “formalism.” 

Polish born Bacewicz’s quintet reveals her response to similar pressures. Despite limited freedoms under a Soviet-influenced regime, she infused her music with Polish folk elements and vigorous rhythms, gestures of national identity subtly pushing against enforced Soviet ideals. Her quintet’s dynamic contrasts, textural richness and robust melodies reflect an artist asserting her cultural voice within restrictive boundaries, achieving emotional intensity and individuality. 

Program
Grażyna Bacewicz, Piano Quintet No. 1 (1952)
Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 (1940)

Artists
Paavali Jumppanen, piano
with Flinders Quartet:
Elizabeth Sellars, violin
Wilma Smith, violin
Helen Ireland, viola
Zoe Knighton, cello

Duration: 60 mins, no interval

This concert is generously supported by Marjory Kobold and Margaret Reid.

Paavali photo credit: Maarit Kytöharju