The ''Romance in F minor'', Op. 11, ( B. 39) is a single-movement work for violin and orchestra by

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

, published in 1879.

History

It was written at the request of Josef Markus, leader of the Provisional Theatre Orchestra in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

; he would play it at the annual concert of the orchestra at

Žofín Palace Žofín Palace () is a Neo-Renaissance building in Prague, in the Czech Republic. It is a cultural centre, a venue for concerts, balls, conferences and exhibitions. It is situated on ' (Slavonic Island), an island in the Vltava river in New Town, ...

. It was first performed at the concert, conducted by

Adolf Čech Adolf Čech (born Adolf Jan Antonin Tausik; 11 December 184127 December 1903) was a Czech conductor, who premiered a number of significant works by Antonín Dvořák (the 2nd, 5th and 6th symphonies, more than any other conductor; other importan ...

, on 9 December 1877.Romance for violin and orchestra
antonin-dvorak.cz, accessed 30 March 2015. Dvořák based the work on the slow movement, marked ''Andante con moto quasi allegretto'', of his String Quartet No. 5 in F minor. This quartet was composed in 1873 when the composer was not widely known; it was unperformed and unpublished in his lifetime.Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 11
NY Philharmonic, accessed 17 Mar 2015. He wrote a version of the ''Romance in F minor'' with piano accompaniment, dedicated to the violinist

František Ondříček František Ondříček (29 April 1857 – 12 April 1922) was a Czech violinist and composer. He gave the first performance of the Violin Concerto by Antonín Dvořák, and his achievements were recognised by the rare award of honorary membe ...

, which was not published in his lifetime. The orchestral version, and an arrangement for violin and piano (B. 38) made by Dvořák's friend , were published in 1879 by

Simrock Simrock may refer to the German sheet music publisher N. Simrock, or one of the following members of the Simrock family engaged in that business: * Nikolaus Simrock (1751–1832), founder of N. Simrock * Karl Joseph Simrock (1802–1876), son of Ni ...

.Romance for violin and piano
antonin-dvorak.cz, accessed 30 March 2015.

Structure

The work is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two B clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, strings, and solo violin; its duration is about 12 minutes. The movement, in

F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp ...

, is marked ''Andante con moto''. It is in

sonata form The sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of t ...

: a graceful melody, from the String Quartet No. 5, leads to a theme in a contrasting key, of similar character, followed by a more restless theme and eventually to an episode of strident chords from the orchestra; the original calm mood prevails and the themes return; the work ends in

F major F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...

Discography

* Itzhak Perlman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, Sony CD (1994) and Kultur DVD (2007)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Romance in F minor (Dvorak) Concertante works by Antonín Dvořák Compositions for violin and orchestra Compositions in F minor 1879 compositions Dvorak Compositions for violin and piano Chamber music by Antonín Dvořák