Jonah Seigler 

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 | Academia

 Dvořák uses characteristics of dances from different areas of Czechoslovakia, rhythms, and the creation of new folk styles helped to define Traditional Czech music, separating it from European music. Specifically looking at the characteristics of the five dances used in the cycle. The Furiant containing hemiolas switching between duple and triple time with a fiery tempo (Clapham); the Dumka with contrasting keys and styles; the polka the contrasting styles of gentle and festive; sousedska a slow couple's dance; skocna, a jumping dance using the rhythm of an eighth note followed by two sixteenths (Jiang). Dvořák did not use exact melodies from the Czech music and liked using the rhythms and his own folk-like melodies (Hanning). The creation of a new style can be seen as atypical key changes. In some dances the key changes are very quick and only last a few measures before going back to the original key, like in No. 5. On the other hand, there is an interesting harmonic movement, instead of  going from tonic to dominant, the key goes to a different chord such as the IV or vi, which is atypical at the time.

    The Furiant, is a Bohemian dance in triple meter with occasional hemiolas. The Furiant was one of the most widely known Czech’s dances, which was popularized by Smetana. In Slavonic Dances the Furiant is the first movement begins with a hemiola (Hanning). The time of the work feels like it is changing because of the hemiola, Though the hemiola has been seen since the Renaissance period it was only used in the chanson until the Czech began to use it more commonly in dance. The furiant is the style movement eight and it begins immediately with a hemiola. In No. 8, the furinat begins in G minor, then to G major creating a shift in the overall tone and to push the dance along (Dvořák). Dvořák’s decision to use the furiant brings attention to the Czech region as a whole, along with the fact that Dvořák is Czech, creates the idea that the furiant is a stereotype of the Czech people. 

    In No. 2 is the style of the dumka which originated from the Ukraine. The term, Dumka translates to “thoughts and dreams”, which is exactly what this movement does. The dumka contrasts between sad, dreamy and fiery emotions (Jiang). Dvořák takes this happy, but melancholy dance and reflects these emotions by the tempo and keys. At the beginning of the movement the key is E minor and the tempo is Allegretto scherzando, which creates this sad emotion. The next section of the work is contrasting. The key is in the parallel major, G major, and the tempo has changed to Allegro Vivo. These changes in the music are sudden which is not typical of other dances around the world (Dvořák). Dancing music is supposed to be consistent and predictable. It seems that Dvořák has used this dance to bring more attention to the Ukrainian culture because of sudden changes that reside in the music making it different from other dance music. Movement No.3 is contrasting this unevenness. 

    In No. 3, the style of the dance is the Polka, which originated from mid-nineteenth-century Bohemia (Döge). The term polka means half step indicating a gentle step from foot to foot. With a typical polka is a lively dance usually in a duple meter. Throughout the verse the alternating of gentle and festive characteristics can be heard (Jiang). The gentle can be heard in the first few measures in the primo part, then the festive around measure 29 in the primo part (Dvořák). Dvořák is using the dances to create a sense of nostalgia to the Bohemian people to bring them back to a simple time, where the only worry would have been entertainment. The festive style of No. 3 contrasts the slower feeling of the sousedska.

Dances No. 4 and No. 6 are in the style of the sousedska, from Bohemia, typically in 3/4 time in a moderately slow tempo and very gentle. The tempo is “tempo di minuetto” or minuet tempo, a minuet is quite soft and this is exactly how Dvořák begins the fourth movement at a mezzo forte with a singular note passage in the primo part with a large crescendo then a release on measure eight (Jiang). Dvořák contrasts this in No. 6 with the tempo and style marking of Allegretto Scherzando, however still at a piano dynamic at the beginning (Dvořák). Again, Dvořák has created a sense of nostalgia by using this dance to the Bohemian people, creating a longing and bringing people together to remember the music of Bohemia. 

Dances No.5 and No.7 are in the form of the skocna, A leaping dance in duple time, usually at a rapid tempo. Both No. 5 and No.7 feature a rhythm of an eighth note followed by two sixteenths (Jiang). In No. 5, there is an interesting harmonic movement, instead of going from tonic to dominant, the key goes to a different chord such as the IV or vi, which is atypical at the time (Dvořák). Dvořák uses the dances and ideas to help depict the rustic life and fills them with the spirit from their original cultures (Jiang).

    Dvořák uses these dances to help depict a rustic life, brings nostalgia to an easier, simpler time for the bohemian people. Dvořák uses influential dances of the cultures that created the Slovic area, from rhythm and chord structure in some to make a movement to bring these peoples closer together. 

Works Cited:

Clapham, John. Antonín Dvořák. Musician and Craftsman. 2009. Web. is.muni.cz/el/cus/podzim2009/CZS33/8974387/lecture7/_84-94__7-Clapham-Dvorak. Accessed Sept. 16, 2020.

Döge, Klaus. Dvořák, Antonín (Leopold). Grove Music. 2001. Print. doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.51222 Accessed Sept. 16, 2020.

Dvořák, Antonín. "Slavonic Dances Op. 46, No.1" N. Simrock. Berlin, Liepzig. Book 1. Web.   imslp.org/wiki/Slavonic_Dances%2C_Op.46_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k%2C_Anton%C3%ADn) Accessed Sept. 15, 2020.

Hanning, Barbra Russano. Concise History of Western Music. W.W. Norton and Company. New York. 5th Edition. 2014. Print.

Jaing, Qichen. Antonin Dvořák , the Piano Duet and Nationalism. DMA Diss. University of Kansas, 2015. Accessed Sept. 16, 2020.