Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

Czech Republic

Birth

:

September 8, 1841 in Nelahozeves, Bohemia

Death

:

May 1, 1904 in Prague, Czech Republic

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Antonin Dvorák was a Czech composer who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in classical music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on September 8, 1841, in Nelahozeves, a small village near Prague, Dvorák was the eldest of nine children. His father, Frantisek Dvorák, was a butcher and innkeeper, and his mother, Anna Zdenkova, was a homemaker. Dvorák showed an early interest in music, and his parents encouraged him to pursue his passion. He began playing the violin at the age of six, and by the time he was a teenager, he was playing in local orchestras and composing his own music. Despite his talent, Dvorák's family was poor, and he was unable to afford formal music lessons. Instead, he taught himself by studying scores and attending concerts. In 1857, Dvorák moved to Prague to study at the Organ School, where he received a scholarship. He studied composition, harmony, and counterpoint, and also played in local orchestras. After graduating in 1859, he worked as a church organist and music teacher, and continued to compose in his spare time. In 1873, Dvorák entered a competition sponsored by the Austrian State Prize for Composition, and won first prize for his patriotic cantata, "The Heirs of the White Mountain." This success brought him to the attention of Johannes Brahms, who was one of the judges of the competition. Brahms became a mentor to Dvorák, and helped him to secure a publishing contract with Simrock, a leading music publisher. Dvorák's early works were heavily influenced by the folk music of his native Bohemia. He incorporated elements of Czech folk music into his compositions, and his music was characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and colorful orchestration. His most famous early works include the "Slavonic Dances," a series of 16 dances for piano four-hands or orchestra, and the "String Quartet No. 12 in F major," also known as the "American Quartet," which he composed during a visit to the United States in 1893. In 1892, Dvorák was appointed director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City, where he spent three years teaching and composing. During this time, he wrote some of his most famous works, including the "Symphony No. 9 in E minor," also known as the "New World Symphony," which was inspired by African-American spirituals and Native American music. He also composed the "Cello Concerto in B minor," which is considered one of the greatest works for cello and orchestra. After returning to Europe in 1895, Dvorák continued to compose prolifically. He wrote several operas, including "Rusalka," which is based on a Czech fairy tale and features the famous aria "Song to the Moon." He also wrote a number of chamber works, including the "Piano Quintet in A major," which is considered one of the greatest works in the chamber music repertoire. Dvorák's music was highly regarded during his lifetime, and he was widely recognized as one of the leading composers of his generation. He received numerous honors and awards, including honorary doctorates from the University of Cambridge and the University of Prague. He died on May 1, 1904, in Prague, at the age of 62. Today, Dvorák's music continues to be widely performed and recorded. His works are admired for their melodic beauty, rhythmic vitality, and colorful orchestration, and his influence can be heard in the music of many later composers, including Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, and Aaron Copland.

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