The two series of Slavonic Dances, each containing eight pieces, are the most characteristic and most famous works by Antonin Dvorak. The first series of Slavonic Dances was originally written in a piano version for four hands, published directly by Simrock in 1878. Dvorak took only the basic idea from a proposal put forward by his publisher: namely, to create artistic stylisations of typical Slavonic dances. He therefore did not seek inspiration from the music of original folk dance songs, like Brahms did in his Hungarian Dances, but merely used the rhythm from these dances as their most distinctive and expressive element, otherwise creating them from his own, new musical ideas. In this first series of Slavonic Dances - with the exception of the second one, which is a typically Dvorakian stylisation of the Ukrainian Dumka [Slav folk ballad] - he opted for characteristic types of Czech dances: the Furiant [fast, fiery dance], Polka, Sousedska [slow waltz] and Skocna [brisk folk dance]. The original version in this edition is for four-hand piano and it was only later that the composer transcribed the pieces for symphony orchestra. This title is part of the first Complete Critical Edition of Works by Antonin Dvorak.<br><br>