Dvorak: Legends, Etc

In 1881 Antonin Dvorak composed a set of ten 'Legends' for piano duet, dedicating them to the influential music critic Eduard Hanslick, who at the time was serving with Johannes Brahms on a committee that awarded Austrian state stipends to young composers of worth. At Hanslick's suggestion, Dvorak introduced himself to Brahms. Brahms, in turn, introduced Dvorak to his publisher, and the rest is history.

Dvorak submitted the 'Legends' to the publisher, Fritz Simrock, who eventually requested that Dvorak orchestrate five of them; the composer took up the challenge and in the end orchestrated the entire set.

Dvorak's 'Legends' are delicate pieces, filled with the folksy melodic touches that are constants in the composer's music. The 'Legends' are gentle in tone and touched with just a whisper of melancholy. The Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer has this music "in their blood" and their performances are clearly authoritative.

The balance of the disc is filled out with other smaller-scale Dvorák works, the most notable of which is a set of five 'Prague Waltzes,' composed a year before the 'Legends.' Once again the orchestra plays with zest and elegance, making this a worthy addition to the Dvorák discography.