Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra B minor op. 104 by Antonin Dvorák

Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra B minor op. 104 by Antonin Dvořák

Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841–1904) was one of the first Czech composers to achieve worldwide recognition. He incorporated elements of Moravian and Bohemian folk music into his compositions to create a national Czech musical style. The Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra B minor op. 104 is one of Dvořák’s last compositions, created while he worked as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City from 1892 to 1895. It is one of the most highly regarded works in all of cello concerti. Oddly, Dvořák was not particularly fond of the cello as a solo instrument, believing that it did not possess the proper range since only its middle pitch was refined saying “up there it mumbles and down there it rumbles”. It is thus surprising that he successfully created such a beloved concerto for the cello. Dvořák originally wrote it for his friend Hanuš Wihan (1855–1920), considered the greatest cellist of his time, although his commitment with the Czech String Quartet meant that the concerto was first performed by English cellist Leo Stern (1862–1904) for its 1896 premiere in London. Nonetheless, Wihan would not only perform the work, but was actually collaborated in its composition, which is evident in the original manuscript at hand. It is accompanied by the composer’s adaptation for piano. This original score is a testament to the collaborative relationship between composer and virtuoso performer.