Dvořák composed his Serenade in E Major in just twelve days, between May 3 and 14, 1875.
Tchaikovsky expressed his admiration for Mozart in his Serenade for String Orchestra, calling it an "intentional imitation of his style."
The premiere of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for String Orchestra in Moscow was a great success, with critics calling it his best work so far.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Antonín Dvořák, the composers on this album, were close friends later in life.
Tchaikovsky's Serenade for String Orchestra was used as a ballet by the master choreographer George Balanchine.
Tchaikovsky dedicated his third orchestral suite to Dvořák, who in turn dedicated his seventh symphony to Tchaikovsky.
Dvořák's income was meager until 1874, when he received a stipend from St. Adalbert's Church in Prague, where he was the organist.
