Czech National Symphony Orchestra & Petr Altrichter: Dvorák

About the Event

The name Antonín Dvořák is inextricably linked with the composer’s acclaimed works, Slavonic Dances. These were created in two series over a period of eight years at the request of the Berlin publisher Fritz Simrock. The pieces are based on one of the basic forms of folk music, i.e. folk dance, and their originality and theme gave Dvořák his first opportunity to perform abroad.

Slavonic Dances exist in two types of performance, orchestral and piano. The genre consists of processing the melodic‐harmonic and rhythmic patterns of the musical culture of the Slavic people. The first series consists mostly of Czech dances, the only exception being the Ukrainian dumka (no. 2). The second series offers a more international selection – in addition to Czech dances, there is a Slovak odzemek, a Serbian kolo, a polonaise and again the composer's favorite dumka, now doubled. Dvořák wrote the first series of Slavonic Dances in 1878 and completed all the dances on July 9, 1886.

The Czech National Symphony Orchestra regularly features individual Dvořák Slavonic Dances in their concerts. This time, they have decided to offer their listeners this gem of Czech culture in its entirety. The complete cycle of the Dances will be conducted by Petr Altrichter, a renowned conductor and promotor of Czech cultural music.