Dvořák spent four months of 1893 in Spillville, Iowa, a village founded by Czech immigrants, which provided him with a familiar and creatively stimulating environment.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in January 2017 at Teldex Studio Berlin, with Martin Sauer as artistic director and René Möller handling sound engineering.
Composition History
Dvořák composed his String Sextet in A major, Op. 48, in just two weeks in May 1878, exploring how to adapt dance characteristics to chamber music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dvořák's melodic ideas sound folkloric without directly quoting folk music, aligning with Schumann's ideal of 'Volkston' (popular tone).
Composer Biography
Antonín Dvořák, at 36, became a prominent European composer almost overnight after the success of his Slavonic Dances in 1878.
Critical Reception
Johannes Brahms, a revered colleague of Dvořák, greatly admired the String Sextet, Op. 48, and felt it was not appreciated enough by audiences.
Compositional Technique
The String Sextet, Op. 48, features a 'Dumka,' an old Slavonic form from Ukraine, used for the first time in Dvořák's chamber music.
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