Antonín Dvorák

Antonín Dvorák's Romantic Pieces, Op. 75 (1887), comprise four charming miniatures for violin and piano. Perhaps surprisingly, they owe their existence to the modest musical skills of a young man who rented a room in Dvorák house. This subtenant was a chemistry student by day and an amateur violinist by night, and Dvorák took it upon himself to compose a string trio that Dvorák, the student, and the student's violin teacher could play together for fun. The resulting work, the Terzetto, Op. 74, proved too difficult for the young amateur, and so Dvorák composed a much simpler trio, the Bagatelles for two violins and viola, Op. 75a. This latter work was well within the student's grasp, but as an item of music Dvorák found it rather unsatisfying; so he took its four numbers and rewrote them for violin and piano as the Romantic Pieces, Op. 75.

Each of the Romantic Pieces originally had a title, but they were removed by the time of publication. Op. 75, No. 1 (originally Cavatina) is a comely B flat major Allegro moderato with a simple sequential melody and a constant long-short-short rhythm in the accompaniment. No. 2 (Capriccio) is more boisterous and features the pungent raised fourth so common in Bohemian music. No. 3 (Romance), is a flowing Allegro appassionato in the same key as the first piece. The G minor melody of the final number, Larghetto (Elegy), is broken up into many passionate, breathless bits; here more than in any of the other Romantic Pieces the addition of the piano's deep bass is welcome (in the original versions of the pieces the bass range was limited to the compass of the viola).