Dvorák composed the cycle “Moravian Duets” for two female voices with piano accompaniment at the request of the Prague wholesale merchant Jan Neff in 1876. This was a turning point in the career of the then still unknown composer: it marked the beginning of his lifelong collaboration with the Simrock publishing house and opened the way to international recognition.

In March 1880, Dvorák arranged five songs from this cycle for four female voices a cappella. The occasion was a concert to support the construction of the Prague National Theatre, at which the composer conducted his own works.

The “Five Moravian Duets” now appear for the first time in a scholarly-critical edition. The autograph serves as the main source; secondary sources consist of transcriptions by an unknown hand which include corrections by the composer.