Dvorak composed two piano quintets, the first in 1872 and the second in the fall of 1887. The Second Piano Quintet (op. 81) was premiered in Prague on the 6th of January, 1888 and was an instant success. The quintet quickly became one of Dvorak's most popular compositions.
The Second Piano Quintet is a four movement work, with each movement being based on one of the Classical Period forms. The scope of the work, however, is much more epic, taking many liberties with harmonic language and formal structure.
The first movement in Sonata Form contains some of Dvorak's most beautiful melodies. The haunting second movement is a rondo in the style of a Czech dumka. The scherzo is actually a furiant and the finale is a lively hybrid of sonata form and rondo form.
