Romantic Pieces (Dvořák)

Background#

The composer’s family was living in that time in Prague 2, at 564 Žitná Street, in the same house as Dvořák’s mother-in-law. There is a bust of Dvořák at 564 Žitná Street with his name inscribed beneath it. The bust of Antonín Dvořák was created by Czech sculptor Ladislav Šaloun between 1904 and 1905. This marble bust is part of the permanent exhibition at the National Gallery in Prague’s Veletržní palác (Trade Fair Palace). His mother-in-law hired out a room to a young chemistry student, Josef Kruis. Kruis was also an amateur violinist who studied the violin with Jan Pelikán, a member of the orchestra of the National Theatre in Prague. They often played violin duets together. Dvořák, a viola player, heard them and got the idea to compose a new chamber work for two violins and viola in order to play with them. The trio version was premiered by members of the Prague Quartet on 24 February 1938 at a concert of Dvořák’s chamber music at the Prague City Library. The individual parts were played by Vilibald Schwejda, Herbert Berger and Ladislav Černý. The Romantic Pieces were published in 1887 by the Berlin publishing house of Simrock, the Miniatures in 1945 by Hudební Matice Umělecké Besedy.

Miniatures, trio for two violins and viola#

Originally the set was untitled, but Dvořák called it Miniatures in the aforementioned letter to Simrock. Kruis added the titles to the individual movements, apparently in agreement with the composer. Dvořák completed the cycle of four unrelated short pieces with different themes, with apparent influence of Robert Schumann.

Romantic pieces for violin and piano#

Dvořák left the musical content of the arrangement for violin and piano almost unchanged; he only slightly altered the harmonic foundations in the first movement (bars 30–36), and extended the end of the third movement with an additional four bars. He also renamed the second and third movements.

In popular culture#

*The fourth movement (Larghetto) is included in the soundtrack of Civilization V.

External links#

• *Info on a comprehensive Dvorak site