Antonin Dvorak
Source: Le
Coin du Musiciien
Bohemian (Czech, basically) composers began making a notable appearance in European music in the latter 17th century of the Baroque. Bedrich Smetana was born a generation earlier than Antonin Dvorák, and would premiere multiple compositions by him as a conductor. Much of Dvorak's oeuvre, such as his dances, is notable for its draw upon Czech, Polish and Slav folk traditions. Born on 8 Sep 1841 in Nelahozeves, near Prague in present-day Czech Republic, Dvorak never met Jarmel Burghauser who catalogued his works by "B" number in his 'Thematicky Katalog' of 1960 (2nd edition 1996).
Dvorak had a father who combined keeping an inn with butchering and playing the zither (string instrument). Antonin himself learned early to play the violin, his first surviving composition thought to be his 'Forget-Me-Not Polka' in C in 1854 at age thirteen, that commencing the B directory as B 1, though too early for an Op number. Dvorak was soon being instructed in piano, organ, theory and singing as well, progressing through multiple of teachers until graduating from Prague's Organ School in 1859. Dvorak had played professionally, as an extra in an orchestra while attending school. But it was by becoming a member of the orchestra of Karel Komzák I in 1858, which played restaurants, balls and the Provisional Theatre, that enabled him to transition from student to professional without a gap. It was a typical situation for a young inexperienced musician, not earning a lot and sharing an apartment with five other people.
'Forget Me Not Polka' Antonin Dvorak Composed 1854 Unpublished
Piano: Tomaz Visek
Dvorak began composing in earnest in the sixties, notably pieces for strings and symphonies. His Opus 1 was assigned to 'String Quintet No.1' in A minor B 7 composed in 1861 but not performed until 1921 long after his death. His Op 2 was 'String Quartet No.1' in A major B 8 composed in 1862. That isn't known to have been performed until he revised it in 1887 for its premiere on 6 January 1888.
'String Quintet No.1 in A Minor' Op 1.1 of 3 Adagio B 7 Antonin Dvorak
Composition finished 6 June 1851? Revised 1887?
Premiere: 15 Dec 1921 Prague Published 1943 Prague
Berlin Philharmonic Octet
Of Dvorak's nine symphonies, his 'Symphony No.1' ('The Bells of Zlonice' or 'Zlonické zvony') in C minor B 9 composed in early 1865 wasn't performed until posthumously in 1936. His 'Symphony No.2' in B flat major B 12 Op 4 of 1865 didn't see a performance until he revised it in 1887 for the conducting of the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague on 11 March of 1888 by Adolf Cech.
'Symphony No.1 in C minor' ('The Bells of Zlonice') B 9 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 14 Feb-24 March 1865
Premiere: 4 October 1936 Brno Published 1961 Prague
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Neumann
'Symphony No.2 in B-flat major' Op 4 B 12 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 1 Aug-9 Oct 1865 Revised 1887
Premiere: 11 March 1888 Prague National Theatre Orchestra conducted by Adolf Cech
Published 1959 Prague
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Neumann
Dvorak composed his first of eleven operas, 'Alfred', in 1870. Referencing 9th century Anglo-Saxon King Alfred the Great, that didn't see a performance until 1905 after Dvorak's death. By 1871 he was able to vacate his spot in his orchestra at the Provisional Theatre and concentrate on composing. But in 1873 he married. For sake of steady income, albeit little, he took a position as organist at St. Adalbert's in Prague (being Roman Catholic). It was 1874 upon the premiere of Dvorak's third and fourth symphonies with which he won his first state scholarship that he was able to leave his position as an organist. It was Johannes Brahms who served as a juror of the Austrian State Prize whom Dvorak had impressed, and Brahms would promote Dvorak's work for another twenty years or so. 'Symphony No.3' in E flat major B 34 Op 10 was composed between April and July of '73 toward its premiere conducted by Bedrich Smetana in Prague on 29 March 1874. 'Symphony No.4' in D minor B 41 Op 13 premiered on 25 May of 1874 conducted by Smetana. Dvorak's 'Symphony No.5' in F major B 54 Op 76 was written in June and July of '75, not performed until 25 March of '79.
'Symphony No.3 in E-flat major' Op 10 B 34 Antonin Dvorak
Composed April 1873-4 July 1873 Revised 1887 1889
Premiere: 29 March 1874 Prague Filharmonie Orchestra conducted by Bedrich Smetana
Published 1911 Berlin by Simrock
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Neumann
'Symphony No.4 in D minor' Op 13 B 41 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 1 January-26 March 1874 Revised 1887 1888
Premiere: 'Scherzo': 25 May 1874 Orague Conducted by Smetana in Prague
Complete: 6 April 1892 Prague National Theatre Orchestra conducted by Dvorak
Published 1912 Berlin by Simrock
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek
'Symphony No.5 in F major' Op 76 B 54 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 5 June-23 July 1875 Revised 1887
Premiere: 25 March 1879 Prague Filharmonie Orchestra conducted by Adolf Cech
Published 1888 Berlin by Simrock
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Neumann
Dvorak composed his 'Stabat Mater' B 71 Op 58 in 1876-77 toward performance on 23 December 1880 in Prague. The 'Stabat Mater' translates into 'Mother Standing' (before the crucifixion). Having transitioned from local fame in Prague to even greater in Vienna, both major hubs of classical music, it was time to perform 'Stabat Mater' at Royal Albert Hall in London in 1883. Royal Albert Hall had only recently been opened to the public by Queen Victoria in March 1871. It was gas lit until electricity was installed in 1897. Dvorak's 6th and 7th symphonies arrived in 1880 and 1884-85 respectively.
Royal Albert Hall 1871
Source:
Le
Wikipedia
'Stabat Mater' Op 58 B 71 Antonin Dvorak
Composed for piano 19 Feb-7 May 1876 For orchestra: Oct-13 Nov 1887
Premiere: 23 Dec 1880 Prague Provisional Theatre C & O conducted by Adolf Cech
Published 1881 Berlin by Simrock
Arnold Schoenberg Choir & Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
'Symphony No.6 in D major' Op 60 B 112 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 27 Aug-15 Oct 1880
Premiere: 25 March 1881 Prague Filharmonie Orchestra conducted by Adolf Cech
Published 1881 Berlin by Simrock
Bayerische Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester conducted by Rafael Kubelik
'Symphony No.7 in D minor' Op 70 B 141 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 13 Dec 1884-17 March 1885 Revised 1885
Premiere: 22 April 1885 London Philharmonic Society conducted by Dvorak
Published 1885 Berlin by Simrock
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Neumann
'Slavonic Dances' Op 72 B 147 Antonin Dvorak
Composed in 8 pieces Nov 1886-5 January 1887
Premiere: Nos. 1, 2 & 7 on 6 Jan 1887 Prague National Theatre Orchestra conducted by Dvorak
Published 1887 Berlin by Simrock
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti
'Symphony No.8 in G major' Op 88 B 163 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 26 August-8 Nov 1889
Premiere: 2 Feb 1890 Prague National Theatre Orchestra conducted by Dvorak
Published 1889 London by Novello, Ewer & Co.
Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan Salzburg 15 Aug 1974
'Requiem' Op 89 B 165 Antonin Dvorak
Composed December ? 1889-31 October 1890
Premiere: 9 Oct 1891 Birmingham
Published 1891 London by Novello, Ewer & Co.
Slovak Philharmonic Choir w the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc 2013
Dvorak had been preceded to America by Strauss II (1872), Anton Rubinstein (1872-73), Leopold Godowsky (1884) Fritz Kreisler (1888), Ferruccio Busoni (1891), Paderewski (1891) and Tchaikovsky (1891). Upon arriving to the States on 1 October of 1892 he filled the position of director for the National Conservatory of Music in NYC from 1892 to '95. He was paid $15,000 per annum. If money bought about twenty times more in Dvorak's time than now that comes to a salary of about $300,000 per year today. It was getting figured by the turn of the century that howsoever barbaric (culturally in arrears) America might be in comparison to Paris, or even distant Saint Petersburg which by then had become a bright spot on the cultural map, it was yet a source of unusually large financial gain. Americans came a little rough but they lived in a country which prosperity was by then giving Great Britain its notice.
Dvorak wrote what some consider his crowning achievement, his 'Symphony No.9' ('From the New World') in E minor B 178 Op 95, for the New York Philharmonic in 1893. That premiered at Carnegie Hall on 16 Dec of 1993 w Anton Seidl conducting four movements after each of which Dvorak was called to bow to applause
'Symphony No.9 in E minor' ('From the New World') Op 95 B 178 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 10 January-24 May 1893
Premiere: 12 Dec 1893 at Carnegie Hall in NYC
New York Philharmonic Society conducted by Anton Seidl
Published 1894 Berlin by Simrock
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paavo Järvi
'String Quartet No.12 in F major' ('American') Op 96 B 179 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 8-23 June 1893
Premiere: 1 January 1894 Boston by the Kneisel Quartet
Published 1887 Berlin by Simrock
Cleveland Quartet 1991
Dvorak's ninth and last visit to London occurred in 1896. Brahms was yet promoting Dvorak from Vienna, even proofreading his scores, until his death in 1897. Dvorak gave his own last concert in April 1900 before becoming Director of the Prague Conservatory in 1901. The official Dvorak website [refs below] finds him composing his last work per his eleventh opera, 'Armida', in 1902-1903 with a libretto by Jaroslav Vrchlický.
Overture to 'Armida' Op 115 B 206 Antonin Dvorak
Composed 11 March 1902-23 August 1903 Unpublished
Premiere: 25 March 1904 Prague National Theatre Orchestra conducted by Frantisek Picka
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gerd Albrecht
Dvorak was struck with flu in April 1904 and died the next month on 1 May, cause unknown. He had authored symphonies, concerti, chamber works, operas, choral music and songs.
Sources & References:
Antonin Dvorak (extensive - major data source)
Audio:
Alfred (Act 1 of 3 - first opera completed 1870)
Armida: (last opera completed 1903): Idagio Qobuz
UCSB (Dvorak performed by various on Edison Cylinder 1908-1915)
Chronology: Antonin Dvorak (alt)
Compositions (Burghauser / Opuses): Antonin Dvorak Klassika
Burghauser & Opus Cross-Referencing:
Wikipedia (English)
Wikipedia (French)
Wikipedia (Spanish)
By Genre: Antonin Dvorak (alt)
Compositions Individual (pertaining to above):
Alfred (first opera 1870): Antonin Dvorak Wikipedia
Armida (last opera 1903)
Forget Me Not Polka (earliest known composition 1854)
Slavonic Dances (B 147 Op 72 1887): IMSLP
String Quintet No.1 in A minor (B 7 Op 1 1861)
String Quintet No.1 in A major (B 8 Op 2 1862)
Stabat Mater (B 71 Op 58 1877):
Symphony No.1 (B 9 1865):
Antonin Dvorak Wikipedia Brian Wise
Symphony No.2 (The Bells of Zlonice B 12 Op 4 1865):
Symphony No.3 (B 34 Op 10 1873):
Antonin Dvorak Phillip Huscher James Reel Wikipedia
Symphony No.4 (B 41 Op 13 1874):
Symphony No.5 (B 54 Op 76 1875):
Antonin Dvorak LA Philharmonic Wikipedia Brian Wise
Symphony No.6 (B 112 Op 60 1880):
Antonin Dvorak Wikipedia Hollywood Bowl Interlude NY Philharmonic
Symphony No.7 (B 41 Op 70 1885):
Antonin Dvorak Classic FM Phillip Huscher Wikipedia
Symphony No.8 (B 163 Op 88 1889):
Antonin Dvorak
Phillip Huscher
Wikipedia
Symphony
No.9 (From
the New World B
178 Op 95 1893):
Iconography: Antonin Dvorak Antonin Dvorak Wikimedia Commons
Museums: Antonin Dvorak Wikipedia
Recordings of Antonin Dvorak:
Alfred (Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno w the Prague Radio SO)
DAHR (early flat disc 1906-1930)
Stabat Mater (C & O des Bayerischen Rundfunks / Soprano: Edith Mathis)
Scores: Choral Works Europeana Musopen
Dvorak in Visual Media: Antonin Dvorak IMDb
Further Reading:
Dvorak in America:
Robert Winter & Peter Bogdanoff
Jarmil Burghauser: IMSLP Wikipedia
Carnegie Hall: Facebook Twitter Wikipedia
Chamber Music: Otakar Sourek (1962)
Antonín Dvorák Music Festival Príbram
Royal Albert Hall: British History Online Victorian London Wikipedia
Symphonies: Charlotte Landru-Chandès
Dvorak & Tchaikovsky: Tchaikovsky Research
Bibliographies: Antonin Dvorak World Cat
Other Profiles:
ДВО́РЖАК (Dvorak)
Antonin Dvorak (Way Back Machine)
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
Classical Main Menu Modern Recording
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