Antonín Dvořák composed his second Piano Quintet, Op. 81, between August and October of 1887. It was premiered in Prague the following year. The work, which calls for piano, two violins, viola, and cello, is acknowledged as one of the masterpieces in the form, along with those of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Shostakovich. It is sometimes referred to by its entry number in the Burghauser, B.155. A standard rendition takes around 40 minutes.
