No.

9 Serenade Haniel A

from Dvořák’s Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85

Dvořák’s Timeline
- 1841: Born in Nelahozeves, a small town in
northern Prague
- 1847: Obtained his first music studies
- 1854: Travelled to Zlonice to live with his uncle to
learn the German language
- 1864: Returned to Prague
- 1873: Married with Anna Čermáková
- 1878: Slavonic Dances, Op. 46
- 1887: Slavonic Dances, Op. 72
- 1889: Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85
- 1893: Trip to New York City to discover “American Music” and engage in it
Symphony No. 9 (“The New World”)
- 1895: Came back to Prague & resumed his professorship at the Prague Conservatory
- 1900: “Rusalka” Opera
- 1904: Death

“This time, I am not only an absolute musician, but also a poet”

“Each piece will have its own title and is meant to express something: thus, as it were, this is
program music!”
- Antonín Dvořák

Poetic Tone Pictures: a collection of 13 programmatic character pieces

1. Night Journey (Nocni cesta) (Allegro moderato)
2. Joking (Zertem) (Allegretto leggiero)
3. At the Old Castle (Na starem hrade) (Lento)
4. Spring Song (Jarni) (Poco allegro)
5. Peasants' Ballad (Selska balada) (Allegro giusto)
6. Reminiscence (Vzpominani) (Andante)
7. Furiant (Allegro feroce)
8. Goblins' Dance (Rej skritku) (Allegretto)
9. Serenade (Serenada) (Moderato e molto cantabile)
10. Bacchanalia (Bakchanale) (Vivacissimo)
11. Tittle-Tattle (Na tackach) (Andante con moto)
12. At a Tumulus (U mohyly) (Grave. Tempo di marcia)
13. At Svata Hora (Na Svate hore) (Poco lento)
 Form: Theme and Variations (with introduction and coda)
Key: C Major
Character: Lyrical, light-hearted, graceful, warm, lullaby-like
Two unique features:
• Key changes (C major -> Gb major in mm. 22-23)
• Meter changes
(4/4 -> 6/8 in
mm. 33-82)

Technical and artistic challenges:

• Reading the notation in the introduction (mm. 1-4) can be visually misleading for
rhythm
• Maintain melodic motion through the repeated pitches (starting m. 5); avoid
accenting these notes, or else the melodic phrasing will be broken
• Maintain sound balance between the bass, the accompaniment beneath the
melody, and the melody
• Avoid playing the chords equally despite the rhythmic repetition so that they do
not sound monotonous (mm. 33-79)
• Changes in meter must not disrupt the larger unit of pulse