Antonín Dvořák

Antonín Leopold Dvořák  ^listen (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer of classical music. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... To play the audio file do not click on the -image. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Classical music is music considered classical, as sophisticated and refined, in a regional tradition. ...

Biography

Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves near Prague where he spent most of his life. He studied music in Prague's Organ School at the end of the 1850s, and through the 1860s played viola in the Bohemian Provisional Theater Orchestra which was from 1866 conducted by Bedřich Smetana. Nelahozeves is a village near Prague, Czech Republic. ... Prague (Praha in Czech) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... ... The viola is a stringed musical instrument which serves as the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello and double bass. ... Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

From 1892 to 1895, Dvořák was director of the National Conservatory in New York City. The Conservatory was founded by a wealthy socialite, Jeannette Thurber, who wanted a well-known composer as director in order to lend prestige to her institution. She wrote to Dvořák, asking him to accept the position, and he agreed, providing that she were willing to meet his conditions: that talented Native American and African-American students, who could not afford the tuition, must be admitted for free. She agreed to his conditions, and he sailed to America. City nickname: The Big Apple Location in the state of New York Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg Area  - Land  - Water 1,214. ... Jeanette Thurber is considered by some to have been the first major patron of Classical music in America. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or Black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to West and sub-Saharan Africa. ...

It was during this time as director of the Conservatory that Dvořák formed a friendship with Harry Burleigh, who became an important African-American composer. Dvořák taught Burleigh composition, and in return, Burleigh spent hours on end singing traditional American Spirituals to Dvořák. Burleigh went on to compose settings of these Spirituals which compare favorably with European classical composition. Harry Burleigh (1866-1949), baritone, was the first African-American to become a successful Classical composer. ... A spiritual is a African American song, usually with a Christian religious text. ...

In the winter and spring of 1893, while in New York, he wrote his most popular work, the Symphony No.9 "From the New World". Following an invitation from his family, he spent the summer of 1893 in the Czech speaking community of Spillville, Iowa. While there he composed two of his most famous chamber works, the Quartet in F ("The American"), and the String Quintet in Eb. A symphony is an extended piece of music for orchestra, especially one in the form of a sonata. ... The Symphony No. ... Spillville is a city located in Winneshiek County, Iowa. ...

Also while in the United States he heard a performance of a cello concerto by the composer Victor Herbert. He was so excited by the possibilities of the cello and orchestra combination displayed in this concerto that he wrote a cello concerto of his own, the Cello Concerto in B minor (1895). Since then the concerto he wrote has grown in popularity and today it is frequently performed. He also left an unfinished work, the Cello Concerto in A major (1865), which was completed and orchestrated by the German composer Günter Raphael between 1925 and 1929. A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) (pronounced Cheh-loh) is a stringed instrument and a member of the violin family. ... Origin Etymology Concerto (pl. ... Victor Herbert (February 1, 1859 - May 26, 1924) was a popular composer of light opera. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... Antonín Dvořáks Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104 is one of the most well-known cello concertos. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Dvořák was a colorful personality. In addition to music, there were two particular passions in his life: locomotive engines, and the breeding of pigeons.

He eventually returned to Prague where he was director of the conservatory from 1901 until his death in 1904. He was interred in the Vysehrad cemetery in Prague. Vyšehrad cemetery. ...

Musical Style and Influence

Dvořák's works are in a variety of forms: his nine symphonies stick to classical models which Ludwig van Beethoven would have recognised and are comparable to Johannes Brahms, but he also worked in the newly developed symphonic poem form and the influence of Richard Wagner is apparent in some works. Many of his works also show the influence of Czech folk music, both in terms of rhythms and melodic shapes; perhaps the best known examples are the two sets of Slavonic Dances. As well as his already-mentioned works, Dvořák wrote operas (the best known of which is Rusalka), chamber music (including a number of string quartets, the American among them) and piano music. A symphony is an extended piece of music for orchestra, especially one in the form of a sonata. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of romantic music. ... A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in one movement in which some extra-musical programme provides a narrative or illustrative element. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use of leitmotifs: themes associated... The foyer of Charles Garniers Opéra, Paris, opened 1875 Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. ... Rusalka is an opera by Antonin Dvořák, named for its main character. ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ...

Dvořák's works were catalogued by Jarmil Burghauser in Antonin Dvořák. Thematic Catalogue. Bibliography. Survey of Life and Work (Export Artia Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1960). In this catalogue, for example, the New World Symphony (Opus 95) is B178. [1] (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/alain.cf/dvoburghauser.htm) 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Dvořák's Symphonies

For a while, the numbering of Dvořák's symphonies was rather unclear; the "New World" symphony has alternately been called the 5th, 8th and 9th. In this article they are numbered according to the order in which they were written (this is the normal numbering system used today). Dvořák himself numbered his 9th Symphony as "number 5," in a superstitious attempt to cheat the tendency for composers to die after composing their ninth symphonies. The trick did not work, and Dvořák died before completing a tenth.

Unlike many other composers who shied away from the symphony until their mature years (notably his mentor Johannes Brahms), Dvořák wrote his Symphony No. 1 in C minor when he was only 24 years of age. Subtitled The Bells of Zlonice after a village in Dvořák's native Bohemia, it is clearly the work of an inexperienced composer, yet shows a lot of promise. The scherzo is considered to be the strongest movement, but the others are not uninteresting. There are many formal similarities with the 5th Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven, yet harmonically and in his instrumentation he is more a romantic composer, following Franz Schubert. Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of romantic music. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828), was an Austrian composer. ...

Not very remarkable, but not of low quality either, is Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, still looking up to Beethoven. But Symphony No. 3 in E flat major clearly shows the sudden and profound impact of Dvořák's recent acquaintance with the music of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use of leitmotifs: themes associated... Franz Liszt (Hungarian; Liszt Ferenc) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer. ...

The influence of Wagner was not lasting, however; it can hardly be heard anymore in Symphony No. 4 in D minor. This last of Dvořák's early symphonies is also widely regarded as the best. Again the scherzo is the highlight, but already Dvořák shows his absolute mastery of all formal aspects.

Dvořák's middle symphonies, Symphony No. 5 in F major (published as No. 3) and Symphony No. 6 in D major (published as No. 1), are happy, pastoral works. They are not as famous as their later cousins, though many consider them just as good. The Fifth is the more pastoral work, although there is a dark slow movement which borrows (or, rather, steals) the first four notes of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the main theme. The Sixth shows a very strong resemblance to the Symphony No. 2 of Brahms, particularly the outer movements. The Symphony No. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  listen (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ...

Symphony No. 7 in D minor of 1885 is the most Romantic era symphony by the composer. The work draws inspiration from Brahms and Tchaikovsky reflecting in the political struggle in Prague. In that sense, it is an intensely patriotic work that balances intense calm with an underlying turmoil. The work, however, is not a programmatic work. The structure is the most ambiguous of his symphonies. The 7th could hardly be a starker contrast to Symphony No. 8 in G major (published as No. 4), a work which Karl Schumann (in booklet notes to a recording of all the symphonies by Rafael Kubelik) compares to Gustav Mahler. Together with his last symphony, these two are regarded as the peak of Dvořák's symphonic writing and among the finest symphonies of the 19th century. Symphony No. ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... Program music is music intended to musically represent, or accompany, an extra-musical theme, constrasting with absolute music. ... The Symphony No. ... Rafael Jeroným Kubelík (June 29, 1914 – August 11, 1996) was a Czech conductor and composer. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 – May 18, 1911) was best known in his own time as one of the leading Austrian conductors of his day, but is now remembered as an important composer linking the late 19th century with the modern musical period, particularly for his vast symphonies...

By far the most popular, however, is Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor (published as No. 5), better known under its subtitle, From the New World. This was written between January and May 1893, while he was in New York. At the time of its composition, Dvořák claimed that he used elements from American music such as Spirituals and Native American music in this work, but he later denied this. The first movement has a solo flute passage very reminiscent of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, and one of his students later reported that the second movement depicted, programmatically, the sobbing of Hiawatha. The second movement was so reminiscent of a negro spiritual that lyrics were written for it and it became Goin' Home. Dvořák was interested in indigenous American music, but in an article published in the New York Herald on December 15, 1893, he wrote "[In the 9th symphony] I have simply written original themes embodying the peculiarities of the Indian music." It is generally accepted that the work has more in common with the folk music of Dvořák's native Bohemia than with American music. The Symphony No. ... A spiritual is a African American song, usually with a Christian religious text. ... There are hundreds of tribes of Native Americans (called the First Nations in Canada), each with diverse musical practices, spread across the United States and Canada (excluding Hawaiian music). ... The term solo has different meanings in different contexts. ... This article pertains to the musical instrument. ... Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a United States spiritual folk song. ... For other uses of the name Hiawatha see Hiawatha (disambiguation) Statue of Hiawatha carrying Minnehaha (based on Longfellows story) Hiawatha (also known as Ha-yo-went-ha) who lived around 1550, was variously a leader of the Onondaga or Mohawk nations of Native Americans. ... A spiritual is a African-American song, usually with a religious text. ... The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ...

Neil Armstrong took this symphony to the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, the first Moon landing mission, in 1969. Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is an American test pilot, astronaut, and was the first human being to walk on the Moon. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ... The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned lunar landing. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

Two of the most highly regarded recordings of these symphonies are the cycles by Rafael Kubelik and Libor Pešek. Rafael Jeroným Kubelík (June 29, 1914 – August 11, 1996) was a Czech conductor and composer. ... Libor Pešek (born June 22, 1933) is a Czech conductor. ...

Media

File links The following pages link to this file: Apollo 8 Accordion Antonio Vivaldi Aramaic language Symphony No. ... Dvorak- Carnival Op92. ...

See also

• Category:Dvorak compositions
• List of compositions by Dvorak

Below is a list of compositions by Antonín Dvořák, sorted by year of composition. ...

Further reading

• John Clapham (1979), Dvorak, ISBN 0715377906

External links

• The Composers of Bohemia (http://members.aol.com/abelard2/bohemia.htm)
• List of Dvorak's works (http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Park/4586/aldfr.html)
• Beaux Arts Trio (http://www.beauxartstrio.org) - famous for their recordings of Dvorak's "Dumky" trio