Furiants, Op. 42, B85

Furiants is the common title Dvořák gave to two piano pieces he wrote in June and September 1878. These are not, however, constructed upon the typical irregular rhythms of the fiery folk dance known as “furiant”, but could be seen more as free fantasies in the spirit of Czech folk music in general. Their keyboard stylisation is dazzling, even if it requires great technical proficiency from the performer. Dvořák dedicated the pieces to pianist Karel Slavkovský, who performed their premiere at the composer’s first independent concert in Prague on 17 November 1878.