The program pairs Britten’s powerful String Quartet No. 2 with Dvořák’s rarely performed and deeply expressive Bass Quintet. Joining the quartet is renowned bassist Edwin Barker, former Principal Bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and one of the nation’s leading chamber musicians. Composed in 1945, Britten’s String Quartet No. 2 is a landmark work filled with emotional depth, rhythmic vitality, and a monumental concluding chaconne inspired by the music of Henry Purcell. Dvořák’s Bass Quintet brings a contrasting spirit of warmth and Bohemian color, enriched by the sonorous addition of double bass.