☰ Ostinato

1873 was a turning point for Dvorák. Precipitated by the rejection of his opera The King and the Charcoal Burner, he tried to give his compositions a new direction. His String Quartet in f minor op. 9, which he completed that same year, was supposed to mark the beginning of a new style that was less orientated towards Wagner. However, much to his disappointment, it was rejected by musicians. Notwithstanding this painful experience Dvorák gave the slow movement of the quartet a second chance, reworking it as a Romance for Violin and Orchestra or piano. It was first performed in 1877 to great acclaim. The fingerings and bowings by Antje Weithaas lend the Henle Urtext edition of this jewel of violin literature a special touch.