Release Date: 10 January 2004
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 747313235223
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: DVORAK
Description
Antonin Dvofiak (1841-1904)American Suite Silent Woods Prague Waltzes Mazurka for violin and orchestraAntonin Dvofiak was born in 1841, the son of a butcherand innkeeper in the village of Nelahozeves, near theBohemian town of Kralupy, some forty miles north ofPrague. It was natural that he should at first have beenexpected to follow the family trade, as the eldest son.His musical abilities, however, soon became apparentand were encouraged by his father. After primaryschooling he was sent to lodge with an uncle in Zloniceand was there able to gain the then necessaryknowledge of German and improve his abilities as amusician, hitherto acquired at home in the village bandand in church. Further study of German and of music atKamenice, a town in northern Bohemia, led to hisadmission in 1857 to the Prague Organ School, wherehe studied for the following two years.On leaving the Organ School, Dvofiak earned hisliving as a viola-player in a band under the direction ofKarel Komzak, an ensemble that was to form thenucleus of the Czech Provisional Theatre Orchestra,established in 1862. Four years later Smetana wasappointed conductor at the theatre, where his operasThe Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The BarteredBride had already been performed. It was not until1871 that Dvofiak resigned from the orchestra, devotinghimself more fully to composition, as his music beganto attract favourable local attention. In 1873 he marrieda former piano pupil, Anna Cermakova, sister of anactress from the theatre and daughter of a Praguegoldsmith, and in 1874 became organist of the churchof St Adalbert. During this period he continued tosupport himself by private teaching, while busy on aseries of compositions that gradually became known toa wider circle.Further recognition came to Dvofiak in 1874, whenhis application for an Austrian government awardbrought his music to the attention of the critic EduardHanslick in Vienna and subsequently to that ofBrahms, a later member of the examining committee.The granting of this award for five consecutive yearswas of material assistance. It was through this contactthat, impressed by Dvofiak's Moravian Duets enteredfor the award of 1877, Brahms was able to arrange fortheir publication by Simrock, who commissioned afurther work, Slavonic Dances, for piano duet. Thesuccess of these publications introduced Dvofiak'smusic to a much wider public, for which it held someexotic appeal. As his reputation grew, there were visitsto Germany and to England, where he was alwaysreceived with greater enthusiasm than might initiallyhave been accorded a Czech composer in Vienna.In 1883 Dvofiak had rejected a tempting proposalthat he should write a German opera for Vienna. Athome he continued to contribute to Czech operaticrepertoire, an important element in re-establishingnational musical identity. The invitation to take up aposition in New York was another matter. In 1891 hehad become professor of composition at PragueConservatory and in the summer of th
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
