Andante appassionato (Dvořák)

Background#

During November and December 1873, the original version of the string quartet No. 6, B.40, was composed. The quartet was initially fashioned in one continuous piece. On revising it, probably in 1874, Dvořák began to split the music into the conventional four movements, and set the Andante appassionato portion aside as a separate item. The last bar of the piece would originally have led into the next section of the complete quartet, and as such, according to Jarmil Burghauser, it would have modulated in key. Instead of this, for the single movement piece, Burghauser provided a suggested F major conclusion with a lengthened tonic note. This is the version recorded by the Prager Streichquartett for the Deutsche Grammophon complete set of Dvořák’s string quartet works. See CD notes.

Position in the original string quartet#

The piece starts in A minor and ends on a chord of F major. The start and end keys thus give it a potential place in Dvořák’s String Quartet number 6 between movements 1 (which ends in A major) & 2 (which starts in F major). Note, however, that Burghauser describes it as originally ’leading to the fourth movement finale'.

External links#

• English language version of page about Dvořák’s Andante appassionato for String Quartet B.40a at a Czech site