 "Dvorák stated elsewhere that he had always remained a simple Bohemian folk musician at heart. Born in 1841, the son of a butcher, he grew up in the countryside. He always heard Bohemian folk tunes, probably even in his mother’s womb. Folk music was clearly part of Dvorák’s DNA, and a Slavic folklore tone permeates the two works on this CD.Warm, soft, resonant, melancholic“It’s mainly because of all the folk dances Dvorák integrates into his works.” For violinist Antje Weithaas, those folk dances are one of the main features of the “Bohemian tone” in Dvorák’s style. The furiant and the dumka are two dances that reappear quite often in his oeuvre; the furiant is from Bohemia, whereas the dumka originated in Ukraine. In Antje Weithaas’s view, Dvorák’s music also reflects the mentality of the Bohemian people. “His music has an unbelievable warmth; there is no aggression. The Czech language also has a gentle quality to it. Or take, for instance, the sound of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra: a unique remnant that is still preserved. It has that incredible velvety warmth and softness, pulsating at the same time with a special, captivating vibration. In Dvorák’s music, we have the dance-like figures, a generous helping of poetry and melancholy, and these all work together to produce wide-ranging emotional depth. Dvorák’s only violin concerto and his string serenade are prime examples of the characteristics described by Antje Weithaas, even though the two works highlight two different aspects of his style. On the one hand, the Violin Concerto in A Minor, op. 53 is a large-scale symphonic tapestry for soloist and orchestra. In contrast, the Serenade in E Minor, op. 22 has a strong chamber music feel to it, although symphonic techniques are by no means absent. Written in 1875 and premiered on December 10th, 1876, the Serenade is among Dvorák’s most beloved, popular works; the violin concerto, from 1879, is much less well-known. It stands in the shadow of the cello concerto, which is far more often performed. Antje Weithaas finds that secondary rank somewhat unjustified. “It’s a gorgeous piece, but difficult to play. Tricky passages await the soloist right at the beginning. No violinist feels at ease when going onstage to play this concerto! But the musical content is magnificent, and we should all do justice to this work by rising to the challenge...."(Excerpt from the Booklet notes by Elisabeth Richter: A conversation with Antje Weithaas)
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