Dvorak: String Quartets No. 1, Op. 2 And No. 6, Op. 12

Description

Antonin Dvořak (1841-1904)String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 2 String Quartet No. 6 in A minor, Op. 12Antonin Dvořak was born in 1841, the son of abutcher and innkeeper in the village of Nelahozeves,near the Bohemian town of Kralupy, some forty milesnorth of Prague. It was natural that he should at firsthave been expected to follow the family trade, as theeldest son. His musical abilities, however, soon becameapparent and were encouraged by his father, who inlater years abandoned his original trade, to earnsomething of a living as a zither player. After primaryschooling he was sent to lodge with an uncle in Zloniceand was there able to acquire the necessary knowledgeof German and improve his abilities as a musician,hitherto acquired at home in the village band and inchurch. Further study of German and of music atKamenice, a town in northern Bohemia, led to hisadmission in 1857 to the Prague Organ School, wherehe studied for the following two years.On leaving the Organ School, Dvořak earned hisliving as a viola-player in a band under the direction ofKarel Komzak, an ensemble that was to form thenucleus of the Czech Provisional Theatre Orchestra,established in 1862. Four years later Smetana wasappointed conductor at the theatre, where his operasThe Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The BarteredBride had already been performed. It was not until 1871that Dvořak resigned from the orchestra, devotinghimself more fully to composition, as his music beganto attract favourable local attention. In 1873 he marrieda former piano pupil, Anna Cermakova, sister of anactress from the theatre and daughter of a Praguegoldsmith, and in 1874 became organist of the church ofSt Adalbert. During this period he continued to supporthimself by private teaching, while busy on a series ofcompositions that gradually became known to a widercircle.Further recognition came to Dvořak in 1874, whenhis application for an Austrian government awardbrought his music to the attention of the critic EduardHanslick in Vienna and subsequently to that of Brahms,a later member of the examining committee. The grantingof this award for five consecutive years was of materialassistance. It was through this contact that, impressedby Dvořak's Moravian Duets entered for the award of1877, Brahms was able to arrange for their publicationby Simrock, who commissioned a further work,Slavonic Dances, for piano duet. The success of thesepublications introduced Dvořak's music to a muchwider public, for which it held some exotic appeal. Ashis reputation grew, there were visits to Germany and toEngland, where he was always received with greaterenthusiasm than might initially have been accorded aCzech composer in Vienna.In 1883 Dvořak had rejected a tempting proposalthat he should write a German opera for Vienna. Athome he continued to contribute to Czech operaticrepertoire, an important element in re-establishingnational musical identity. The invitation to take up aposi