Moravian duets - Antonín Dvořák / instr. J. Krček
We would like to mention a few facts about famous Dvořák's Moravian duets from time when the young composer was not the famous Antonín Dvořák.
In 1877 Johannes Brahms was a member of Vienna jury that was supposed to choose candidates for a scholarship for young gifted poor composers. Having seen Dvořák’s score he wrote without hesitation to his publisher Fritz Simrock: „If you play these you will be delighted as I was and as a publisher you will be specially delighted with some peculiarities. Dvořák is definitelly a very gifted person. Moreover, he is poor. I beg you consider this.“ A music reviewer Louis Ehlert wrote in a Berliner journal Nationalzeitung: „When I read those, in my heart I felt as if I was observing beautiful maidens tossing at each other flowers where the dew still sparkles."
The piano part of Moravian duets has been adopted to the orchestral version for the third time, this time by Jaroslav Krček.
The author of the instrumentation says: „Who would not like Dvořák’s „Czechness“ in his music? Who would not like Dvořák’s colourful instrumentation, who would not like Dvořák’s Moravian duets with which he drew worldwide attention to his work? Still, I had always regretted that these beautiful songs based on folklore lyrics are accompanied mostly only on piano and that Dvořák did not compose them like Slavonic Dances, Biblical songs or Mass in D Major. So I made an attempt to do it so in Dvořák's style. Still, the composition is not for an orchestra that would be bigger than in Dvořák’s Czech Suite or Legends.“
Other compositions by Antonín Dvořák published in Czech Radio:
Alfred
Humoresque op. 101, No. 7
Prague Waltzes
Tragic Overture
Parts only for hire at nakladatelstvi@rozhlas.cz