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Download ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 in E minor
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ANTONÍNDVOŘÁK SymphonyNo.9inEminor,Op.95,“FromtheNewWorld” Born:September8,1841,inNelahozeves,Bohemia Died:May1,1904,inPrague Workcomposed:1893 Worldpremiere:CarnegieHallinNewYork,onDecember16,1893.TheNewYorkPhilharmonic OrchestrawasconductedbyDvořák’sfriendAntonSeidl. AntonínDvořákwasborninBohemia,thecountrywenowknowastheCzechRepublic,andduringthe 1870srosetoprominenceashishomeland’sforemostcomposer.Intheyearsthatfollowed,hisfame spreadthroughoutEuropeandevenacrosstheAtlantic,whereitattractedthenoticeofaMrs.Jeanette Thurber,whohadestablishedanewconservatoryofmusicinNewYork.In1891sheinvitedDvořákto becomethedirectorofthisschool.Hewouldbewellcompensatedandhisdutieslight,leavingplentyof timeforcomposing.Aftersomenegotiating,Dvořákacceptedthepositionand,inSeptember1892, sailedforAmerica.Formuchof1892through1895,thecomposerlivedinNewYorkandinIowa,where hespentasummerinacommunityofCzechemigrantfarmers. ItwasduringhisfirstyearinAmericathatDvořákcomposedhisSymphonyNo.9,whichbearsthe subtitle“FromtheNewWorld.”Dvořákdeclaredthatheintendedthatmonikertomean“Impressions andgreetingsfromtheNewWorld.”ThisisfarfromthemusicalpanoramaofAmericaandAmericanlife somecommentatorshaveheardinthepiece.Moreover,theformanddevelopmentalproceduresat workinthissymphonyareverymuchwithinthemainstreamofEuropeanmusicaltradition.Still,Dvořák statedthatthework’sAmericanprovenancewouldbeobvious“toanyonewho‘hadanose’,”andhe toldacorrespondent:“IdoknowthatIwouldneverhavewritten[it]‘justso’hadIneverseenAmerica.” Thisambivalentperspectiveappliesthesymphony’sthematicmaterial.Onmorethanoneoccasion duringhisAmericansojourn,DvořákexpressedinterestinAfrican-Americanspiritualsandnative Americantribalmusic,andheoncealludedtothe“peculiaritiesofNegroandIndianmusic”inthe themesofthissymphony.But,ashealsoemphasized,therearenoactualquotationsofanyAmerican musicinthe“NewWorld”Symphony.Moreover,someofthe“peculiarities”ofitsmelodiesarealso thoseofCzechfolksong. AndsowereturntoDvořák’stitle,whichofferswhatisnodoubtthemosthelpfulperspectiveonthe questionofthesymphony’snationality:thatitwaswrittenbyaCzechmusicianundertheinfluenceof hisexperienceoflifeintheUnitedStates.Tobesure,thesymphony’sform,orchestrationandmuchof itscharacteristypicallycentral-European.YetAmericanscanbeproudthatthiscompositionwasborn ontheirsoil,andthatcertainaspectsofAmericanlegend,literatureandfolksongundoubtedly influenceditinwayswecannotpreciselydefine,yetneverthelessstronglyintuitfromitsmusic. WHATTOLISTENFOR:Dvořákprecedesthefirstmovementwithanintroductioninslowtempo.Inthe firstmovementproper,themainthemeisarobustideagivenoutbyhornsandwoodwinds.Thesecond movementfeaturesoneofthecomposer’smostfamouscreations,adeeplypoignantmelodysungby Englishhorn.Butthebeautyofthatthemeshouldnotdistractusfromthestrangepowerofthebrass chordsthatframethemovement,norfromthemeltingpoignancyofthesecondsubject.Thatlateridea presentsmelancholyphrasesinthewoodwindsagainsttremolofiguresinthestringsthatsoundlike windrustlingthroughtreebranchesinableakautumnsky.Wealsoheararecollectionofmaterialfrom earlierinthesymphonyandaquietlydramaticfalteringofthemusicneartheclose. Theensuingscherzobalancesfierceenergywitharelaxedandfolkloriccentralepisode.Thisthird movementalsorecallsthemesfromtheopeningpartofthecomposition,andDvořákextendsthisidea tothefinale.Hererecollectionsfromeachoftheprecedingmovementsprovide,intheconcluding minutesofthesymphony,acomprehensiveandexcitingconclusion. ©2016PaulSchiavo
