Dvořák - Serenade for Strings
About the Composer
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841-1904)
Pronounced “Duh-VOR-shack”
Born in in Nelahozeves, near Prague, in the Austrian Empire.
One of the first Czech composers to gain worldwide recognition.
Dvořák lived in the musical era we call “Romantic” music. Romantic composers sought to create music that was individualistic, emotional, dramatic, and often programmatic.
Dvořák began playing the violin at a very young age, when he was just six years old. His love of music and his musical education grew and by his early thirties his works were being performed in Prague. He is known for incorporating folk melodies into his compositions. He wrote music in all genres, including symphonies, chamber music, and opera.
If you want to learn more about Dvořák, you can read the Wikipedia article about him.
About the Piece
Dvořák composed the Serenade for Strings in just two weeks in May 1875, and it is still one of his most popular pieces of music. The piece was premiered in Prague on 10 December 1876.
It consists of five movements:
Moderato
Tempo di Valse
Scherzo: Vivace
Larghetto
Finale: Allegro vivace
