The immense popularity of Antonín Dvorák's colorful Slavonic works of the 1870s—the Slavonic Dances and Slavonic Rhapsodies, the Moravian Duets, and so on—was not without its price (a price familiar to many composers, authors, and actors): European fame was attained, yes, but for quite some time afterwards Dvorák's more substantial compositions were of almost no interest to his publishers, who were content to reap the near-endless harvest of the Slavonic-style works; furthermore, to the public and even many fellow musicians, Dvorák was suddenly typecast as an author of Bohemian novelties. However, Dvorák felt this to be a small price for escaping absolute poverty, and he continued to satisfy the demand for Slavonic works (for a time, anyway). So when the first violinist of the then-famous Florentine Quartet asked Dvorák to write a "Slavonic work" for the group, Dvorák was only too happy to comply. Composed between Christmas Day, 1878, and spring of 1879, the String Quartet No. 10 in E flat, Op. 51—the "Slavonic" Quartet, as it is sometimes called—is the result of that commission.

This quartet is the first of a pair of works that would temporarily wrap up Dvorák's work in that medium (the other is No. 11 in C major—an interval of 12 years would pass before Dvorák would again compose an original work for string quartet). Like so many of Dvorák's mature string quartets, the charms of this piece go far beyond the superficial attractions of its folk-music colorations. The opening of the Allegro non troppo first movement is perfectly relaxed; the main tune and its bouncing, dance-like counterpart vie for attention. The dance tune earns a major victory when it is selected to begin the recapitulation; but when all is said and done it is the calm first tune that draws a close.

The most obviously Slavonic movement of the quartet is the second, an Andante con moto dumka with bursts furiant sections in the middle (the dumka and the furiant are both dance forms native to Dvorák's homeland). The third movement is a Romanza in B flat major, one of Dvorák's loveliest thoughts. Dance is again the germ from which the Allegro assai finale grows; a lively two-step colors the movement's sonata-form landmarks.

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