Socrates - Comenius 1: 
School Project “We are all living under the same sky”


Music

Antonin Dvorak

8. 9. 1841 Nelahozeves – 1. 5. 1904 Praha

He was a famous Czech composer and a teacher. From 1901 he worked as a director of the conservatorie in Prague. He is a founder of the Czech serious music. He finished his studies at organ school and then he worked as a violinist in K. Komzaks band. Later he left the band and played in the orchestra of Prozatimni theatre. From 1892 to 1895 he was an artist director of the conservatorie of music in New York.

Among the important authors works belong Moravske dvojzpevy (Moravian duets) and Slovanske tance (Slavonic dances). Moravian duets are his firts work that made him famous in the world. Slavonic dances contain 2 series of dances. In the firts one there are idealized Czech dances, where as in the second serie, composed 8 years later, there are idealized Polish, Serbian, Russian and Slovak dances. Those 2 works were very successful.

He also became famous for his symphony z Noveho sveta (From the New World) which was composed during his stay in America. In the Symphony From the New World Dvorak expressed his subjective feelings from America. The symphony contains  new elements influenced by a new environment. String quartet F major called American was also written in America during only 16 days. It also expresses his sadness and home-sickness. (Lento - the deepest emotional expressing of the longing for his native country.) 

Antonin Dvorak composed a lot of Czech operas for example Rusalka, Armida, Jakobin and Cert a Kaca. Cert a Kaca - the short overture to the 3rd act is superb miniature which perfectly describes the joyful atmosphere of the Czech folk tale. Rusalka is the greatest work of  Czech opera repertoire  and one of the most favourite Czech operas.

His other important works are e. g. Houslovy kvartet F dur (String quartet F major), Suita A dur (Suite A major) and Violoncelovy koncert h moll (Violoncello concert h minor), cantata Svatebni kosile, oratorium St. Ludmila (oratorio St. Ludmila), Requiem written in Latin and opera Dimitrij  inspired by Russian history.

He also wrote 9 symphonies, 16 string quartets, programme symphonies and a lot of orchestral violin and piano works.