As a young composer, Dvořák was not always pleased with the outcomes of his work. Often times, these early compositions were wholly discarded, never to be seen again. However, a few Dvořák could not bring himself to condemn to the wastebasket. With time and experience, he was able to salvage the remains of these pieces and transform them into remarkable works of art.
The Nocturne in B major was one such piece. It began as the slow movement of a string quartet in E minor composed in 1870. The quartet did not meet Dvořák’s standards and was discarded. Yet, he held on to the Andante religioso section of the work. The Andante was then reincarnated three separate times: first as the original slow movement of the String Quintet in G major, op. 77 (later replaced); then in two separate versions of the Nocturne, one for strings and another for solo violin with either piano or string accompaniment. The string orchestra version was later published in 1883 and, in the following year, given at a successful concert in London by Dvořák himself.
Opening with an arching melody in the cellos and basses, the entire piece is dominated by a sense of solemnity. After four bars, the violins then take over the theme and expand it over a dominant pedal. This pervasive pedal tone, lasting the entire half of the first movement, provides simultaneously a firm foundation for the soaring melodic lines of the violins as well as harmonic tension pressing the music onward. When a resolution is finally reached, Dvořák presents an uplifting melody yet without abandoning the solemn tone of the piece. Slowing ebbing away, the end comes peacefully first descending to pizzicato tones in the lower strings and concluding with a heavenly B major triad. Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Orchestral Music
Antonin Dvořák
Notturno for String Orchestra Play
Recorded on 02/17/2011, uploaded on 05/20/2011
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
As a young composer, Dvořák was not always pleased with the outcomes of his work. Often times, these early compositions were wholly discarded, never to be seen again. However, a few Dvořák could not bring himself to condemn to the wastebasket. With time and experience, he was able to salvage the remains of these pieces and transform them into remarkable works of art.
The Nocturne in B major was one such piece. It began as the slow movement of a string quartet in E minor composed in 1870. The quartet did not meet Dvořák’s standards and was discarded. Yet, he held on to the Andante religioso section of the work. The Andante was then reincarnated three separate times: first as the original slow movement of the String Quintet in G major, op. 77 (later replaced); then in two separate versions of the Nocturne, one for strings and another for solo violin with either piano or string accompaniment. The string orchestra version was later published in 1883 and, in the following year, given at a successful concert in London by Dvořák himself.
Opening with an arching melody in the cellos and basses, the entire piece is dominated by a sense of solemnity. After four bars, the violins then take over the theme and expand it over a dominant pedal. This pervasive pedal tone, lasting the entire half of the first movement, provides simultaneously a firm foundation for the soaring melodic lines of the violins as well as harmonic tension pressing the music onward. When a resolution is finally reached, Dvořák presents an uplifting melody yet without abandoning the solemn tone of the piece. Slowing ebbing away, the end comes peacefully first descending to pizzicato tones in the lower strings and concluding with a heavenly B major triad. Joseph DuBose
More music by Antonin Dvořák
String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97
Allegro appassionato, from Four Romantic Pieces, Op.75
Romance in f minor, Op. 11
Humoresque
Piano Trio in F Minor, Op. 65
Romance in f minor, Op. 11
Rondo for cello and piano Op 94
Slavonic Dance in A-Flat Major, Op. 46 No. 3
Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81
String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97
Classical Music for the Internet Era™