Dvořák's music gained wider recognition and publication through the support of Brahms, who was impressed by Dvořák's Moravian Duets and arranged for their publication by Simrock.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dvořák's time as director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York aimed to provide a blueprint for American national music, following the example of Czech national music.
Composer Biography
Before dedicating himself to composition, Dvořák earned a living as a viola player in a band that later formed the nucleus of the Czech Provisional Theatre Orchestra.
Performer Biography
The Vlach Quartet Prague continues a rich tradition of Czech chamber music, succeeding the famous Vlach Quartet led by Josef Vlach, father of the current ensemble's violinist Jana Vlachová.
Composer Biography
Antonín Dvořák, the composer of these string quartets, was the son of a butcher and innkeeper and was initially expected to follow the family trade.
Composition History
Dvořák's String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 2, the first of his fourteen quartets, was written in 1862 but not publicly performed until 1888 and published only in 1948.
Composition History
Dvořák's String Quartet No. 6 in A minor, Op. 12, was written around his wedding day in 1873 and was later completed by Jarmil Burghauser after Dvořák left it unfinished.
