ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK

(1841 - 1904)

SymphonyNo.9,“FromtheNewWorld”

Dvořák, born in Bohemia (now Czech Republic), made a name for himself composing 19th-century Romantic music heavily inspired from folk music. In 1892, he was invited by Mrs. Jeannette Thurber to become a director for the newly established National Conservatory of Music, which, at the time, was very recently founded by herself, in New York City. Within the first year of his stay in America, Dvořák drew from American (otherwise referred to as “New World”) music and folklore as source material for his composition for the wellknown ninth symphony.

New World Symphony, as it has become known, has maintained as one of Dvořák’s most well-known symphonies, despite it being composed a little over a century ago. Dvořák crafted his ninth symphony in the style of a standard four movements classical symphony The first movement (Adagio-Allegro Molto) is filled with repetitive use of the theme in a question and response style, which is sure to be etched into your memory by the time the movement ends

The second movement (Largo) treats you to a pleasant succession of chords before your attention is drawn to the sweet and enchanting tune from the cor anglais (English horn)

The same tune is later emulated by the strings; yet it fails to complete before the English horn takes over. In its second major theme, a troubling second tune appears in the winds, accompanied by jazz-style pizzicato steps in the basses, and after much development, it brings itself to the sweet sound of the cor anglais for you to enjoy once more.

The Scherzo (Molto vivace) immediately opens with energy-filled bars, fueling the following adrenaline filed bars. Dvořák manages to balance out the piece with a much more relaxed and folkloric development, but not before it returns once again to jolt you out of your seats.

Much like Rachmaninoff’s transition from the second to the third movement, the fourth movement (Allegro con fuoco) also wastes no time in introducing itself This finale provides an excellent summation of the entire composition, because in addition to its own musical ideas, it also recalls themes from preceding movements The recollections help to bring the symphony’s four separate movements together into one unified symphony and offers a thrilling finale