Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Op.46

Introduction

The Slavonic Dances (Czech: Slovanské tance) are a series of 16 orchestral pieces composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1878 and 1886 and published in two sets as Opus 46 and Opus 72 respectively. Originally written for piano four hands, the Slavonic Dances were inspired by Johannes Brahms's own Hungarian Dances and were orchestrated at the request of Dvořák's publisher soon after composition. The pieces, lively and full of national character, were well received at the time and today are considered among the composer's most memorable works, occasionally making appearances in popular culture.

The Op. 46 set is listed in the Burghauser catalogue as B.78 in the original piano four hand version, and as B.83 in the orchestral version. The Op. 72 set is catalogued as B.145 in the piano four hand version, and as B.147 in the orchestral version.

The music

The types of dances upon which Dvořák based his music include the furiant, the dumka, the polka, the sousedská, the skočná, the mazurka, the odzemek, the špacírka, the kolo and the polonaise. A full performance of each opus typically takes approximately 40 minutes.

Opus 46

• No. 1 in C major (Furiant)
• No. 2 in E minor (Dumka)
• No. 3 in A-flat major (Polka)
• No. 4 in F major (Sousedská)
• No. 5 in A major (Skočná)
• No. 6 in D major (Sousedská)
• No. 7 in C minor (Skočná)
• No. 8 in G minor (Furiant)