Composer · Romantic
Antonin Dvorak
1841–1904 · Czech
Antonin Dvorak was born on September 8, 1841, in Nelahozeves, a small village north of Prague in Bohemia. The eldest of fourteen children, he was expected to follow his father into the butcher’s trade, but his unmistakable musical talent led him on a different path. After studying at the Prague Organ School, Dvorak spent years playing viola in theatre orchestras while composing in his spare time, often in conditions of considerable hardship.
His breakthrough came when Johannes Brahms, serving on a jury for a composition prize, recognized Dvorak’s exceptional gifts and recommended him to his own publisher, Simrock. The resulting Slavonic Dances (1878) were an immediate international success. Following in the footsteps of Bedrich Smetana, Dvorak went on to achieve worldwide fame as a Czech composer. His time as director of the National Conservatory in New York (1892-1895) produced some of his most beloved works, including the “New World” Symphony and the Cello Concerto.
Works
- “The Wood Dove” (Holoubek), Symphonic Poem, Op. 110 1
- In Nature’s Realm, Op. 91 1
- Nocturne in B major, Op. 40 1
- Selections from Moravian Duets (orch. Tibor Gátay) 1
- Symphony No. 6 in D major, Op. 60 2
- Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 3
- Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 “From the New World” 2
- The Wild Dove, Op. 110 1
Performed at
Upcoming
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Dvořák’s Seventh and Bartók’s Bluebeard Dvorak · Bartók
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Zubin Mehta and Pinchas Zukerman with Bruch’s First Violin Concerto Mozart · Bruch · Dvorak
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Jakub Hrůša and Yuja Wang: Dvořák, Bartók and Brahms Dvorak · Bartók · Brahms
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Klaus Mäkelä in Barcelona: Schumann’s Manfred, Lisa Batiashvili plays Sibelius, Dvořák’s Seventh Schumann · Sibelius · Dvorak
Past guides
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Ax Plays Williams, and Dvořák’s Sixth Tchaikovsky · Williams · Dvorak
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Gabetta’s Martinů, and Ravel’s Daphnis Dvorak · Martinů · Stravinsky · Ravel
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Bihlmaier: Bernstein, Liebermann and Dvořák’s New World Bernstein · Liebermann · Dvorak
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Iván Fischer’s Two Worlds: Bernstein, the Beatles and Bohemia Bernstein · Beatles · Dvorak · Smetana
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Linz and Bohemia Mozart · Dvorak
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Questions and Answers: From America to the New World Ives · Shostakovich · Dvorak
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Yunchan Lim’s Schumann, and Czech Tone Poems Schumann · Dvorak · Suk
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A Spring Awakening: From Bohemia to Vienna Dvorak · Berg · Schumann
Sources 1
- Antonín Dvořák, Wikipedia