Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech
composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other
aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native
Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example
of his predecessor BedÅ™ich Smetana. Dvorák's style
has been described as "the fullest recreation of a
national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition,
absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of
using them," and he himself has been described as
"arguably the most ...(+)
Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech
composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other
aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native
Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example
of his predecessor BedÅ™ich Smetana. Dvorák's style
has been described as "the fullest recreation of a
national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition,
absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of
using them," and he himself has been described as
"arguably the most versatile... composer of his time".
He displayed his musical gifts at an early age, being
an apt violin student. The first public performances of
his works were in Prague in 1872 and, with special
success, in 1873, when he was 31 years old. Seeking
recognition beyond the Prague area, he submitted scores
of symphonies and other works to German and Austrian
competitions. He did not win a prize until 1874, with
Johannes Brahms on the jury of the Austrian State
Competition. In 1877, after his third win, Brahms
recommended Dvorák to his publisher, Simrock, who
commissioned what became the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46.
The sheet music's high sales and critical reception led
to his international success. A London performance of
Dvorák's Stabat Mater in 1883 led to many other
performances in the United Kingdom, the United States,
and eventually Russia in March 1890. The Seventh
Symphony was written for London in 1885.
His "Poetic Tone Pictures" show an entirely different
side to the composer known for his symphonies and
string quartets. The 13 postcards for piano that make
up DvoÅ™ák's Poetic Tone Pictures were written in
the Spring of 1889, and signal a shift in style from a
composer moving away from formal constructions towards
a more free, inspired aesthetic. Among these charming
pieces are evocations of magic and mystery (The Old
Castle), rustic dances (Furiant and Peasant Ballad),
nostalgic mood pieces (Twilight Way), and tragic
reminiscences (At a Hero's Grave). The works range from
the deeply profound to the playful, from lighthearted
to furious - "I feel a very strong, wonderful narrative
in them," says Leif Ove Andsnes, who firmly believes
DvoÅ™ák conceived the pieces of this 'exceptional'
set as a cycle to be played together. It's a cycle of
many stories but it also feels like one big story; like
someone opening a book and saying, 'Listen, I'm going
to tell you something'. And then it just opens, piece
by piece.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C
3%A1k).
Although originally composed for Solo Piano, I created
this Arrangement of "In the Old Castle" (Na starém
hradÄ›) from "Poetic Tone Pictures" (Op. 85 B. 161
No. 3) in Eb Major for Flute & Piano.
