Donna Fairbanks and Hilary Demske performed selections from this program in a series of recent concerts in Brno and Prague in the Czech Republic. Sponsors included the Moravian Museum, Mazaryk University, the Czech Ministry of Culture, the Brno Philharmonic, the Augustinian Abbey of St. Thomas, and the Hagibor Jewish Center.

Dvořák’s Romance in F minor (1877) is a reworking of the Andantino movement from his String Quartet no. 5 in F minor (1873). The composition reflects Dvořák’s growing interest in rich, expanded harmonies and Czech folk music. As a soulful, lyrical ballad, it is well known for its emotional intensity, and has become one of Dvořák’s most beloved pieces.

Smetana is oftentimes regarded as the father of Czech music, with compositions that promoted 19^th century Czech nationalism. He wrote Z domoviny (From My Homeland) in 1880, during a time of personal declining health and deafness. It exemplifies Smetana’s skill of weaving musical complexity within intimate and engaging material. Smetana characterized this work as “… relatively light in style … in a genuinely national manner, albeit with my own tunes.”

With roots in Polish folk dance, a Mazurek (or Mazurka) became popular with Chopin’s 50 Mazurkas for Piano. Dvořák was one of many composers who chose to follow Chopin’s example and incorporate material from this appealing form of folk dance. Dvořák wrote this 1879 piece in the traditional triple meter of a Mazurek, with rustic charm and his personal signature of creative artistry.

Janáček wrote: “... in the 1914 Sonata for violin and piano, I could just about hear sound of the steel clashing in my troubled head … I wrote it at the beginning of the War when we were expecting the Russians in Moravia.” Janáček incorporated unique aspects of both instruments to depict the sounds of war throughout the sonata, including the slash of swords in the third movement and gunfire in the fourth movement. He revised the sonata several times before it was finally published and premiered in 1922 in Brno. Fairbanks and Demske were invited to perform this sonata in Brno in 2022 to commemorate this centennial.