MusiLLection

America welcomed Dvořák warmly, and scenes of everyday life inspired the musical imagery of his Symphony “From the New World.” On December 20, 1892, only three months after his arrival in the United States, Antonín Dvořák began planning what would become his most famous symphony. He gave it the subtitle “From the New World” , acknowledging the new cultural environment that inspired him. He completed the final movement on May 24, 1893, writing with relief on the manuscript: “Thank God!” This was the first large-scale work Dvořák composed entirely in America . When accused of borrowing directly from African American spirituals, Dvořák replied: “I have written in the spirit of American folk songs.” Indeed, the melodies are entirely his own, yet they evoke the rhythmic patterns, modal colors, and expressive character of Negro spirituals and Native American music , rather than quoting them literally. The premiere took place on December 16, 1893 , at Carnegie Hall in New York , conducte...

London in 1888, the city where Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 was first presented to English audiences and warmly embraced. From 1884 onward, Antonín Dvořák visited England no fewer than nine times. His music was met with great enthusiasm, and his concerts enjoyed remarkable popularity. During one of these visits, in 1890, he conducted the English premiere of Symphony No. 8 , a work he had composed between August and November of the previous year. At the time, Dvořák was engaged in a dispute with his publisher Fritz Simrock , who complained that the composer’s works were no longer commercially profitable. As a result, the symphony was first published in England in 1892 by Novello & Co. , under the direction of Henry Littleton , secretary of the London Philharmonic Society and the figure who had originally invited Dvořák to England. Dvořák conducted the symphony again with great success at Queen’s Hall in London on March 19, 1896, during his final English visit. The acclaim and financia...

The first page of Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, signed by Antonín Dvořák. The handwritten notes on the left trace earlier ideas and dates that the composer later fused into one of the most iconic symphonies in music history. For Orchestra: Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 & Op. 72 Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 Concertos:  Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Chamber Music: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 "American" Symphonies: No. 1 in C minor "The Bells of Zlonice" No. 2 in B♭ Major No. 3 in C Major, Op. 32 No. 4 in D minor No. 5 in F Major, Op. 76 No. 6 in D Major, Op. 60 No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 No. 9 in E minor "From the New World", Op. 95 Operas: The Devil and Kate, Op. 112 Rusalka, Op. 114 Armida, Op. 115 Choral Music: Stabat Mater, Op. 58

Portrait of Antonín Dvořák, one of the most influential Czech composers of the Romantic era. Although the founder of the Czech national school of music was Bedřich Smetana , it was Antonín Leopold Dvořák who carried the inexhaustible wealth of Bohemian musical tradition far beyond national borders and into the heart of the Western world. His music reflects a rare and harmonious balance between academic discipline, instinctive craftsmanship, and the vivid colors of folk expression. A gifted assimilator of influence, Dvořák absorbed every meaningful musical stimulus he encountered—whether as a diligent student or as a reflective traveler—and transformed it into a deeply personal musical language. His works follow the impulses of emotion rather than rigid logic, resulting in music that feels sincere, spontaneous, and warmly human. Often, his melodies seem to smile with the simplicity of everyday life, yet they never lose sight of artistic refinement or emotional depth. Dvořák speaks di...