Four Romantic Pieces

Description

Antonín Leopold Dvořák (8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was one of the first Czech composers to achieve worldwide recognition. Following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predecessor Bedřich Smetana, Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style has been described as “the fullest recreation of a national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of using them”.
These four trios were composed for a pair of violinists in Prague, with Dvorak himself taking the viola part. He then immediately arranged the pieces for violin and piano, and are more well known in that version. This initial version was not rediscovered until 1938. In this arrangement, the melodic material has been shared more evenly between the two flute parts.