Dvořák, Antonín (Leopold)

born Sept. 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, Bohemia, Austrian Empire

died May 1, 1904, Prague

Bohemian (Czech) composer.

Son of a rural innkeeper and butcher, he was permitted to attend organ school in Prague in 1857. He played viola in a theatre orchestra, often under the Czech nationalist composer Bedřich Smetana, and eventually found employment that left him ample time for composition. Johannes Brahms assisted in getting Dvořák's works published, and by 1880 his fame had spread throughout Europe. While serving as director of New York's new National Conservatory of Music (1892–95) he composed the symphony From the New World (1893), his best-known work, which is thought to be based on black spirituals and other American influences. His music frequently draws on folk tunes and is seen as an expression of Czech nationalism. Highly prolific, he is primarily known for his orchestral and chamber compositions; his works include 9 symphonies, concertos for piano, violin, and cello, 2 serenades, several tone poems, 14 string quartets, 2 piano quartets, and 2 piano quintets. His many piano works include the four-hand Slavonic Dances (1878, 1886). His sacred music includes a Stabat Mater (1877), a Requiem (1890), and a Te Deum (1892). Of his 13 operas, only Rusalka (1900) is still performed.

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