Slavonic Dance No. 8 (Antonín Dvorák)
Program Notes
Composed by Antonín Dvoráks, arranged by Ian Deterling.
Prior to the publication of Slavonic Dances, Dvorák was a relatively unknown composer and had little success in getting his works published or even performed. In 1877, he won the Austrian State Prize fellowship with his Moravian Duets. One of the judges happened to be Johannes Brahms, who recommended the duets to his publisher, Simrock. The following year, Simrock commissioned Dvorák to compose a series of Slavonic Dances for piano duet, similar to Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances, Op 46 were an immediate success, elevating the 37-year-old composer to a celebrity status.
Unlike Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances do not quote actual folk melodies, but rather utilizes traditional rhythmic patterns and structures with originally composed melodies. No. 8 is based on the furiant; a rapid and lively Bohemian dance in alternating 2/4 and 3/4 time.