Antonín Dvořák: Slavic Dances for Four Hands, Op. 46, 72
At the evening concert in the famous Villa Tugendhat, a complete performance of Antonín Dvořák's Slavic Dances will be heard in the composer's version, interpreted by experienced pianists specializing, among other things, in four-handed playing.
In 1878, the Berlin music publisher Simrock, on Brahms's recommendation, published Dvořák's Moravian Duets, which immediately became very successful. That's why the publisher invited Dvořák to compose popular four-hand compositions at the time, as well as dances that would be a kind of counterpart to the well-known and popular Hungarian Dances of Johannes Brahms. The composer set to work, and in three weeks the first line was born, which he simultaneously instrumented in addition to the piano version. Dvořák created a highly stylized ensemble in the spirit of folk music using his own themes. The first series was published by Simrock already in 1878, again to great acclaim. That is why Dvořák's publisher spent the next few years persuading him to compose the second series, which finally happened in 1886.
Jiří Zahrádek
