Shimrok, a Berlin publisher who had an unexpected success with the first collection of Slavic dances (1872), urged Dvorak to compose a piano piece for the other four hands of the same nature. However, the composer did not respond until (1886) he handed over a second collection based on Czech and Slovak dance forms. This was in order to perfectly master the style of piano work for four hands. Ten legends began sketching in the fall of 1880, but barely touched them until intensive work was completed from February December to March 23, 1881. In contrast, Bohemian Forest (six works) was intermittently composed between September 1883 and January 1884 to borrow Schumann's expressive power while Dvorak worked at the Royal Academy of Music. These two works were not as successful as the Slavic dances. However, after being arranged as an orchestra, these works gained popularity in numerous venues in the Ostro-Hungarian Empire and have become a major repertoire. Dvorak: From Bohemian Forest OP.68 Legend OP.59, Performance: Zdentakawa Martin Hazel (piano). (PRD250173)