Once again in the case of Dvorak the "B" numbers tell the story better than the official opus numbers. These two Czech folk dances for solo piano were written after the Slavonic Dances, op 46 (B 78). It is sometimes speculated that this pair of pieces might have originated as part of the famous set of dances for two pianos. The "Furiant" is a Czech dance with a whirling rhythm and a swaggering quality, and there are examples of them all over Dvorak¹s music, including the op 46 set.

One reason that this pair of them might not have been included in op 46 is that they are concert dances for a solo pianist of some virtuosic ability, while the larger set is for piano duet and within the grasp of a pair of well schooled home musicians. These furiants do not alternate double and triple time, but they do have rhythmic dislocations that provoke something of the same interest. Both furiants are built on a pair of ideas with the first idea repeated. In the first furiant, this repeat is varied, and the piece is highly effective. In the second case, Dvorak miscalculates. The first idea has a considerable degree of novelty and these surprises make a good effect. But after the contrasting section it comes back in a literal repeat and, thus shorn of any surprises, falls a bit flat.



© All Music Guide