Silent woods is one of those short little encores that prove to be quite popular. The original Czech title Klid was translated by Fritz Simrock, the music publisher who commissioned it, into Waldesruhe, German for Silent woods. It is one part of a cycle of pieces for piano four hands, composed in 1883. It has been transcribed by Dvořák for cello and piano, and cello and orchestra. Here it is found in a version for viola, played by Josef Suk.
I like short pieces like this. They are a bit poetic, and also succinct. It is like short stories: if you can tell the story in less words, the message is stronger. Less is more. Maybe I should take an example of that.