Composer

:

Antonin Dvorák

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Tone Poem

Compose Date

:

Jan 15, 1896 - Apr 25, 1896

Publication Date

:

1896

First Performance

:

Jun 3, 1896

Average_duration

:

25:55

Antonin Dvorák's "The Golden Spinning Wheel" is a symphonic poem, Op. 109, composed in 1896. It premiered on November 15, 1896, in Prague, conducted by the composer himself. The piece is based on a Czech fairy tale of the same name, which tells the story of a king who falls in love with a beautiful maiden, but her stepmother, a witch, kills her and turns her into a golden spinning wheel. The king then marries the witch, who uses the spinning wheel to torture and kill his other wives. In the end, the king's youngest son defeats the witch and restores his beloved to life. The piece is divided into four movements, each representing a different part of the story. The first movement, marked "Allegro con fuoco," introduces the main theme, which represents the king's love for the maiden. The music is passionate and intense, with sweeping melodies and dramatic climaxes. The second movement, marked "Andante sostenuto," is more subdued and mournful, representing the maiden's death and transformation into the spinning wheel. The music is slow and lyrical, with a haunting quality that evokes the sense of loss and tragedy. The third movement, marked "Allegretto grazioso," represents the witch's use of the spinning wheel to kill the king's other wives. The music is playful and sinister, with a sense of twisted glee that reflects the witch's sadistic pleasure in her actions. The final movement, marked "Allegro ma non troppo," represents the prince's defeat of the witch and the restoration of the maiden to life. The music is triumphant and joyful, with a sense of resolution and closure that brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, "The Golden Spinning Wheel" is a powerful and evocative piece of music that captures the drama and emotion of the fairy tale on which it is based. Dvorák's use of melody, harmony, and orchestration is masterful, creating a vivid and immersive musical world that draws the listener in and holds them spellbound from beginning to end.

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