Romantic Pieces, Op. 75 [Romantische Stücke]

On 18 January 1887 Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904) started composing his Romantic Pieces for violin and piano, opus 75 (B 150), completing that version on 25 January. They were performed for the first time in a private house two days later, with the composer writing to his publisher in Berlin: ‘Played here yesterday and very well received.’ For this edition reference has been made to a copy of the original manuscript and to the first edition. The small number of bow markings in the violin part of the piano score are original and have been left unaltered. These four contrasting movements are a welcome addition to the violin repertoire and a very effective alternative to Dvorák’s large-scale violin works, the Concerto in A minor and Romance in F minor.