Antonín Dvořák
* September 8th 1841, Nelahozeves CZ – † May 1st 1904, Prague
Antonin Dvorak employed the idioms and melodies of folk music of his native Bohemia and Moravia in symphonic, oratorial, chamber and operatic works.
When Dvořák composed his second string quintet in 1875, and in 1877 it attracted the attention of Johannes Brahms, whom he later befriended.
When asked later in his life why he did not write a cello concerto, Brahms answered “Dvorak has already written it!”
On Brahms’ recommendation he contacted a publisher, who as a result commissioned Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances. Published in 1878, these were an immediate success.
Dvořák’s Stabat Mater was performed abroad, and after a successful performance in London in 1883, Dvořák was invited to visit England where he appeared to great acclaim in 1884. His Symphony No. 7 was written for London; it premiered there in 1885.
His most popular piece is his New World Symphony composed mostly during his stay in New York during 1892 to 1895 where Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. In 1891 Dvořák received an honorary degree from Cambridge University, and his Requiem premiered later that year in Birmingham at the Triennial Music Festival.
Tags: Antonín Dvořák, composer, dvorak, johannes brahms, prague
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