In 1878, encouraged by the success of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Dvořák – egged on by the publisher Simrock – produced his own set of eight Slavonic Dances for piano four-hands; and, like the Brahms, they were a runaway success.
The leader of the Florentine Quartet, Jean Becker, noting the popularity of these Dances, commissioned Dvořák to produce a Slavonic Quartet. Dvořák duly obliged and his 10th quartet is therefore called ‘the Slavonic’, living up to its title by having a Dumka as the second movement and a lively Skočná as a finale.
00:00 Allegro ma non troppo
11:16 Dumka (Elegie). Andante con moto
19:53 Romanze. Andante con moto
27:29 Finale. Allegro assai
For those of you who would prefer to see a performance rather than read a score…
0:00 Allegro ma non troppo
8:37 Dumka: Andante con moto. Vivace
16:41 Romanza: Andante con moto
23:10 Finale: Allegro assai
And here, in their original four-handed piano version, are the dances themselves. The Dumka is the second, and the Skočná, the penultimate movement.
0:00 – No. 1 in C major (Furiant)
3:47 – No. 2 in E minor (Dumka)
8:16 – No. 3 in A flat major (Polka)
12:12 – No. 4 in F major (Sousedská)
18:21 – No. 5 in A major (Skočná)
21:29 – No. 6 in D major (Sousedská)
25:46 – No. 7 in C minor (Skočná)
28:50 – No. 8 in G minor (Furiant)
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