Simon Rattle conducts a series of vivid Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořák in Prague's beautiful Rudolfinum auditorium, home to the Czech Philharmonic.
Dvořák's Slavonic Dances were born out of a request for encouragement: due to the commercial success of the Moravian Duos, the Berlin publisher Fritz Simrock asked him for “something in the style of Brahms” Hungarian Dances'. Dvořák responded in a message to Brahms: 'Most honourable maestro! I have been commissioned to write some Slavonic dances for Mr Simrock. Not knowing where to begin, I have tried to get hold of your famous Hungarian Dances and have taken the liberty of using them as a model for the Slavonic Dances in question." It was a great success and he was soon commissioned to write another series of Slavonic Dances. In this recording, we hear a masterful stylisation of the original compositions that are “pure” Dvořák and celebrate the Bohemian spirit.
Conductor | Simon Rattle
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Programme
Antonín Dvořák
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46
No. 1, Presto
No. 2, Allegretto scherzando
No. 3, Poco allegro
No. 4, Tempo di minuetto
No. 5, Allegro vivace
No. 6, Allegretto scherzando
No.7 Allegro assai
No. 8 Presto
RELATED CONTENT
