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.

Enjoy as well the Slavonic Dances, Op.46 here.