Brahms and the Viennese music critic Hanslick we’re both admirers of Dvořák’s music. This admiration had come about through the Austrian State competition which Dvořák won several times and whose panel of judges sometimes included Brahms and Hanslick.
Brahms recommended the younger composer to his publisher, Simrock, and generally supported Dvořák throughout his career, to the extent that when Dvořák moved briefly to New York, to Dvořák’s astonishment, Brahms acted as his European proofreader.
Dvořák’s Ninth String Quartet (1877) is dedicated to Brahms:
00:00 Allegro
12:37 Alla polka. Allegretto scherzando — Trio. Quasi l’istesso tempo
19:26 Adagio
26:40 Finale. Poco allegro
As a colourful change from the homogeneous world of strings, here’s Dvořák’s Wind Serenade, scored for two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, an optional double bassoon, three horns, cello, and double bass. It was written in 1878, a year after the D minor string quartet and just before the piano four-hands version of the first set of Slavonic Dances.
Here’s a performance with the score…
00:00 Moderato, quasi marcia
04:23 Tempo di minuetto – Trio. Presto
10:41 Andante con moto
19:51 Finale. Allegro molto
… and for those who prefer to see the instrumentalists:
Moderato, quasi marcia 00:00
Minuetto. Tempo di minuetto 04:37
Andante con moto 11:30
Finale. Allegro molto 20:40
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