# What are your top five compositions by Dvořák?



## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

I have limited experience with Dvořák. Only two of his symphonies (5th & 9th) are in my classical collection. This community knows what is worthy & I'd like your responses. TIA! :tiphat:


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Symphonies 8 and 9
Violin concerto
String quartet 12 'American'
Piano Trio 4 'Dumky'


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Cello Concerto
Stabat Mater
Symphony No. 9
Piano Quintet Op. 81
String Quintet Op. 97


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

Piano Quintet no. 2
String Quintet no. 3 "American"
Piano Trio no. 4 "Dumky"
Cello Concerto
Symphony no. 8


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Everything! I couldn’t possibly stop at five.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

String quartets opp. 105, 106
Piano quintet op.81
cello concerto
symphony #7


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Barbebleu said:


> Everything! I couldn't possibly stop at five.


O RLY? Even stuff like the hour-long, 3rd string quartet?


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Since you've already listened to Symphony no. 9:
Symphonies nos. 7 & 8
String Quartets nos. 12 & 13
Cello Concerto


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I am also fond of a tone poem, The Water Goblin, the Hussite Overture, and the oratorio St. Ludmilla.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Piano Quintet, op. 81
String Quintet, op. 97
Rusalka
Requiem
Cello Concerto


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

1. Symphony 9
2. Symphony 8
3. Wind Serenade
4. Cello Concerto
5. Slavonic Dances


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Symphony no. 8
Symphony no. 7
Cello Concerto in B minor
Serenade For Strings
Slavonic Dances, opus 46


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## HerbertNorman (Jan 9, 2020)

Symphonies 8 and 9
Serenade for strings
String quartet 12 'American'
Piano Trio 4 'Dumky'


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

String Quartet no. 9 in D minor, op. 34
Symphony 9
Serenade for Strings
Violin Concerto
Stabat Mater


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Serenade for Winds
Carnival Overture
Sym #6
Sym #9
Sym #8


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Here is my Dvorak blog:

https://dvorakshack.blogspot.com

My top 5 Dvorak works:

Cello Concerto
Symphony 8 or 9
String Quartet 12
Slavonic Dances
Violin Concerto


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## Terrapin (Apr 15, 2011)

1. Symphony No. 9, Cello Concerto (tie)
3. Piano Trio No. 4
4. String Quartet No. 12, Piano Quintet Op 81, String Quintet Op 97, Symphony No. 8 (tie)


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Haven't really explored Dvorak, but I do have and like his opera, Dimitrij.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Piano Concerto
Violin Concerto
Cello concerto
Symphony 8
Symphony 9

Can't believe the Piano Concerto was not already mentioned! It is an above average work and the Andante has a beautiful opening melody first introduced by the horns and then followed by the piano. Firkusny championed this work in the 60s and 70s and this is the LP recording I bought. Luckily, it became available on CD.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

American Quartet
Violin Concerto
Cello Concerto
Symphonic Variations
Symphony N0.7


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

Barbebleu said:


> Everything! I couldn't possibly stop at five.


OMG, I'll never get a chance to listen to it all! Depressing?


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

I see consistency, and you all have pointed me to pretty much the same material. Thanks much for sharing!:tiphat:


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

It is very hard to restrict it to 5 works but here goes:

Favorites:
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 6
Cello Concerto
Slavonic Dances
String quartet 12 'American'

Also rans:
Symphony No. 8
Symphony No. 9
The Water Goblin

I am leaving out a great deal of great music. He really was a genius of a composer. One of the greatest of all time.


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

Rusalka (my clear No.1)
String Quartet No.13
String Quintet No.3
Piano Quintet No.2
Strong Quartet No.12


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

StDior said:


> Strong Quartet No.12


Best. Typo. Ever.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Slavonic Dances and Cello concerto are certainly top contenders for me...


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## ansfelden (Jan 11, 2022)

quick response, before thinking too much

Cello concerto
Legends (orchestral version)
Symphony 7
Serenade for winds
My Home overture

... and probably 10 different top 5´s when i start to think...


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

hammeredklavier said:


> O RLY? Even stuff like the hour-long, 3rd string quartet?


Especially that! On a loop!:tiphat:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

Dvořák was an early favourite composer and I still rate him very highly. The biggest problem with him that, unlike with most other favourites, it is hard to pick a single work or two or even five to go at the top of the list as quite a number have particular movements or sections which stand out. 

There's no question at all that the works which have made him particularly famous are all from his "American" phase which is only one side of the composer. These are of course the American quartet, the New World Symphony and Cello concerto. Other than the passionate finale of the New World, I can live without them. Instead:

1. symphony no. 3 op.10. Dvořák's early symphonies are largely ignored which is a great shame as they have a haunting, brooding atmosphere which later completely disappears.
2. Romance for violin and orchestra op.11 A short but extremely touching work from the same period
3. symphony no. 6 perhaps the most overall beautiful symphony
4. String quartet no.13 in G major -- the most profound of the chamber works.
5. Piano quartet in Eb major -- primarily the irresistible dance theme in the finale is absolutely unique.

It has to be said this list is somewhat arbitrary. Among other extraordinary achievements are the first movement of the 8th symphony which in a great performance reaches almost hysterical tension towards the end. This was probably the first work of his I really got to know. Rusalka is uneven but unquestionably contains some of his most beautiful moments. The String Serenade is certainly among the greatest ever written.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Cello concerto
Violin concerto
Symphonies 7,8,9


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Chibi Ubu said:


> I see consistency, and you all have pointed me to pretty much the same material. Thanks much for sharing!:tiphat:


True...but can I just emphasise and 'underline' any recommendation that involves Symphonies 3 and 5, the two Serenades and the Piano Concerto.


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

Rusalka, SQ 13, Symphony 9, Symphony 8, Cello Concerto


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Cello concerto
Symphonies 7-9
Serenade for strings


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## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

1. *Stabat Mater*
----------------------
2. Symphony 8
3. Symphony 9
4. Cello Concerto
5. String Serenade


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## Scherzi Cat (8 mo ago)

Symphony No. 9, Cello Concerto, Violin Concerto, Serenade for Winds, “American” String Quartet


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## Otis B. Driftwood (4 mo ago)

Violin Concerto
Cello Concerto
Symphony no. 9 "New World"
Slavonic Dances
Piano Trio no. 4 "Dumky"


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Dvorak has a lot of *first movements* I adore. Symphony 9, Cello Concerto. But my Dvorak spirit animal... yes we all have one, is the first movement of Symphony 7.

Edit: Speaking of adore, that sounds like a good descriptor for Dvorak. _Adorable_


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Turns out I already participated. Anyway, String Quintets nos. 2 (with double bass) and 3 ("American") are worth hearing.


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

I recently re-discovered the 5 Dvorak bagatelles. I find them charming. They make me smile.

While listening to them, I realized that I didn't even know what a bagatelle was, so I looked it up, and it's "a short unpretentious instrumental composition".

So I wouldn't ordinarily spend a lot of time listening to a harmonium, but I like it with these bagatelles.

Now that I've chosen the 5 bagatelles, does that mean that I've used up my entire allotment of top five compositions? Or does the set count as one? 😉 

I also kind of like the Serenade for Wind, but for me it depends a lot on the performance. Then there was the piano quartet -- or was a quintet? I forget. I haven't heard that in a while. I think I'll be exploring the string quartets next.


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## Bruckner Anton II (6 mo ago)

Cello Concerto
Piano Quintet #2 op.81
String Quartet #12
String Serenade
Violin Concerto


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