Dvořák - Bagatelles, Op. 47 for Two Violins, Cello and Harmonium

Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) Bagatelles, Op. 47 for Two Violins, Cello and Harmonium Composed in 1878 Performed by members of the Alberni String Quartet: Howard Davis (1940-2008), violin Peper Pople, violin David Smith, cello Virginia Black (b. 1950), harmonium Recorded in 1988 at the Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead, London 0:00 I. Allegretto scherzando 2:59 II. Tempo di minuetto: Grazioso 6:15 III. Allegretto scherzando 9:13 IV. Canon: Andante con moto 12:42 V. Poco allegro Antonín Dvořák composed his Bagatelles, Op. 47, in May 1878, writing them for an unusual ensemble of two violins, cello, and harmonium. The work was created for his friend and supporter, the music critic Josef Srb-Debrnov (1836-1904), who played the harmonium at home and desired new chamber music that could be performed in domestic settings without requiring a piano. Dvořák composed the five movements rapidly over the course of just a few days, drawing upon the style of folk-influenced light music while utilizing the harmonium to provide a rich, sustaining harmonic foundation. Although the instrumentation was specific to the domestic environment of his circle in Prague, the Bagatelles remain a unique example of Dvořák’s ability to imbue functional, collaborative music with deep melodic appeal and rhythmic vitality.