Complete Slavonic Dances

'The Scottish National Orchestra play beautifully for him [Järvi], and he clearly loves the music… superbly played… It is an excellent record…'
Gramophone

Neeme Järvi conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in this vibrantly colourful interpretation of Dvorák's Slavonic Dances.

The eight Slavonic Dances of Op. 46 published in 1878 captivated music lovers in Germany and England and introduced Dvorák's name to the international world for the first time.


About the Slavonic Dances:
In 1877 the composer Johannes Brahms was so charmed by the music of the little-known composer Antonín Dvorák that he recommended him to his publisher, Simrock. Brahms's great fame had begun with the publication of his Hungarian Dances and Simrock suggested that Dvorák capitalise on this by composing a set of Slavonic dances.

Dvorák had always loved the folk music of his own country - as a child he had been captivated by the music played by itinerant musicians in his father's inn - and set about the task with great enthusiasm. He wrote the first of the dances on 18 March 1878, and seven more followed in quick succession. With Brahms's Hungarian Dances in mind and the knowledge of the orchestra which Dvorák had developed over the years it was easy for him to set his Slavonic Dances for both piano duet and orchestra.

For this first set he received 300 marks and they were so successful that Simrock was happy to offer Dvorák 3000 marks for the Second Series, which was completed in January 1887 by which time Dvorák had become a world-famous composer of the first rank.