The Quintet, Op. 49, while never claiming to be a score of great consequence, nonetheless seduces the listener with its grace and spontaneity. The opening phrase is played in unison and immediately introduces the rhythmic elements that define Granados’s writing. If the initial atmosphere is one of passion and a certain tension, the second section is more intense and expressive. The movement ends with an energetic return to the principal motif. Beauty, taste and refinement are the hallmarks of the second movement. The use of mutes creates a remote, bucolic sound and, thanks to the triple-time rhythm, a light, almost magical rocking motion. Contrast is provided in the final movement by the prominence given to what is now a clearly defined rhythm, and by the use of modal harmonies that give a gypsy air to a lively main theme that reappears in the manner of a rondo.
