Score and Parts

The discovery of a lost source to Antonín Dvorák's “Nocturne” in B major op. 40 provides new insights into the genesis of the composition and the composer's intended final form of this lyrical little piece for string orchestra.

The musical material of what was later to be named “Nocturne” was initially elaborated in the String Quartet in E minor; subsequently it was used in the original version of the String Quintet in G major as its second movement. However Dvorák then extracted it again, expanding and editing it afresh. The final result was the “Nocturne” for string orchestra (two violins, viola, violoncello, double bass). The first edition was published by Bote & Bock in 1883.

The authorized second copy of the work that had served as a template for the first printing was discovered by the editor Jonáš Hájek in a privately owned collection. This enabled him to resolve the several ambiguities caused by the existence of multiple versions and to unveil the authentic “Nocturne”.