Antonín Dvořák

Slavonic Dance op. 46 nr.8

The Slavonic Dances are a series of 16 orchestral pieces composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1878 and 1886 and published in two sets as Opus 46 and Opus 72 respectively. Originally written for piano four hands, the Slavonic Dances were inspired by Johannes Brahms's own Hungarian Dances and were orchestrated at the request of Dvořák's publisher soon after composition. The pieces, lively and full of national character, were well received at the time and today are among the composer's most memorable works. The arrangement is by Nestor Janssens, former solo clarinettist of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra.