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Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191, is a standard part of the modern cello repertoire, probably even the most popular concerto on the instrument. For the most part the version played today is the same as the original. However, Hanuš Wihan, for whom the concerto was originally written, requested some changes, and Dvořák made a few of them. Wikipedia has the whole story.

From things written by other cellists, it seems that the changes were mostly made for playability, and the original version has a lot of musical advantages. However, it is rather difficult to find the original version in any form. Still, the fact that modern-day people are even talking about the differences indicates that it has survived in some form, and Wikipedia confirms that Dvořák's original version is still occasionally performed, though the reference it gives does not actually answer this question as far as I can tell.

What changes were made to the concerto, especially the cello part? I'd prefer a link to complete sheet music for the original unmodified version if possible, but barring that a recording of someone playing the original version or a list of the changes (assuming the number is fairly small) would also be acceptable.

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2 Answers 2

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I believe this could be it. There's also a cheaper piano reduction available. Here is a sample page. From the description:


The editor Jonathan Del Mar has painstakingly examined all the surviving sources, including two that have hitherto been either ignored or crucially undervalued, in order to produce an authoritative edition which restores – for the first time since the original edition was published in 1896 - Dvorák’s final and definitive version of the solo cello part. This differs, in details, in almost every bar from the version found in all other modern editions, while hundreds of corrections have also been made to the orchestral parts.

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This does appear to be what I'm looking for based on the product description and the sample page. Nice job finding an affordable version as well. – Logan Maingi Mar 24 '13 at 19:09

In actuality, Dvorak accepted many of Wihan's changes; Wihan even wrote some of them directly into the autograph score. Dvorak most notably rejected Wihan's suggested insertion of a virtuosic cadenza just before the close of the third movement. The original edition includes "ossias" (alternative readings) for some passages where Wihan had contributed a suggestion.

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Thank you for your answer, but that's not quite what I was asking. I want to know what changes were made, not whether or not they were accepted. I was aware that the ones that persist in the standard version of the concerto today were accepted by Dvořák, but I have reason to believe that the version before these changes were made still exists based on quotes of several cellists, and I'd like to know precisely what the changes were. – Logan Maingi Mar 23 '13 at 4:14

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