1873 was a turning point for Dvorák. Precipitated by the rejection of his opera “The King and the Charcoal Burner”, he tried to give his compositions a new direction. His String Quartet in f minor op. 9, which he completed that same year, wassupposed to mark the beginning of a new style that was less orientated towards Wagner. However, much to his disappointment, it was rejected by musicians. Notwithstanding this painful experience Dvorák gave the slow movement of the quartet a secondchance, reworking it as a Romance for Violin and Orchestra or piano. It was first performed in 1877 to great acclaim. Fingerings and bowings by Antje Weithaas.