Great Composers: Antonín Dvořák

A look at a famous Bohemian.
This was a viewer request from Mikel P. of the HMB Music Class and KZbinr Edivaldo Junior. See the current request queue at lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html.
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Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
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Music:
- Antonín Dvořák: In Nature’s Realm, Op. 91, performed by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barbara Schubert and available on IMSLP: tinyurl.com/ybbcte9y
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
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Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[@alaalfa8839]

According to Dvořák´ s son Otakar, Dvořák usually sarted to write early in the morning till the noon in village Vysoká. The brother in law the earl who bought the villa there, Dvořák asked to buy house there. He wrote most of his works there,, Slavonic dances (second set, Humoresques for piano)..He was happy there with his family. According to son Otakar they were surprised that when he composed they didnt hear one note of the piano, because as most great composers they hear the melodies in their head. They say Dvořák was able to write 60 pages of scores in this period since morning till the noon. He liked the sininging birds in his garden, he planted some trees by himself and he had few animals, little farm and doves. He was proud of his little farm.He was playing the card game Darda in the pub with his friends. On his villa he was playing the bowling with his friends. Though he was in England more times to introduce his music on great stages, and theaters, halls, he was very humble. He liked living in village Vysoká. The fame didnt change his character.

[@wyattwahlgren8883]

I love those last few statements in this video about Dvorak. I don't exactly know why Dvorak is my favorite composer, but he is. I really enjoy everything by him. Not only the works that he wrote in America, but also his Slavonic Dances, his other symphonies, his requiem, and much more. His 8th symphony is my favorite piece of music currently (and it hasn't changes for at least 3-4 of months). I own some Dover scores of some of his works, but I don't feel that it is nearly enough. I can never seem to get enough Dvorak. Ever. ...Ever...

[@williambrimer2123]

Hello! I’m a high school choir teacher on summer break and these videos are helping me recharge! Thank you very much for them!! I have learned a lot!!!

[@kenm.3512]

Among my favorite works by Dvorak are The Water Goblin, Symphonies 3 and 6, 7, 8, 9, Stabat Mater, Cello Concerto, Violin Concerto, selected Slavonic Dances, Rusalka, selected chamber music. The Golden Spinning Wheel, The Wood Dove, The Noon Witch, Overtures, The Czech Suite........I like Dvorak.....alot ! Excellent job young man. I enjoy your channel very much.

[@Monorat]

Tempo Di Valse from Serenade for Strings is absolutely breathtaking, highly underrated in his works.

[@norbicsek]

"And sometimes he would _derail_ his composition lessons with students, just to ask about the train journeys they've been on..." That pun hurt.

[@dustindvorak1397]

This is really cool! I grew up near Spillville and of course, share the last name. I've never looked into the family tree but he does share a resemblance to my grandpa Dvorak's brother 🤔. Thanks for creating the video.

[@wyattwahlgren8883]

His New World Symphony is great, but I also really like his 8th symphony. The harmonies in that are so unique.

[@morganross6399]

6 & 7 are good as well.

[@FlatEarthTruth611]

​@@morganross6399I quite like his fifth symphony, In Natures Realm, Carnival Overture and Othello Overture.

[@charlesdavis7087]

Hey there Mr. Little. Love your musical insights and history. Perfect for high school and college classes. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

[@alaalfa8839]

According to czech documentary of 1991 he was bad student of german language and when he learned something, he wasnt able to express himself well.....he composed at that time, and classmates made fun of him because he was very poor, and they laughed when they found out he is compossing...he thought they are more successful....But in the documentary they said he knew well english when he came to America and he actually knew two languages.

[@dahlrussell]

Very well written and researched... and some humor, too, thank heaven! I write and present pre-concert lectures, and I think you have a wonderful polished presentation. Great stuff! Congrats.

[@rachellearmstead3411]

Good day, fellow youths! Got any hot train gossip?

[@HabsburgFanClub]

I appreciate your video. It is very well made! I was wondering what caused/inspired Dvorak to write symphony 8. I've heard a few different stories. Did he write it because of his children passing away?

[@janburris2773]

Yes, a very good one, Thomas. Thank you.

[@MrFrankcoughlin]

This is great public service. Thank you!!

[@psychedupbruce]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[@maestralive3493]

Great video, thank you and LOL @ "shook" hahaha I wasn't ready

[@ElleSunminLee]

wow.. very nice contents! This is fantastic!!!!!

[@ericrakestraw664]

2:12 - and thus all the jokes about violists were born!

[@FilipusWisnumurti]

I love this kind of vids :D do Gustav Mahler next please XD

[@littlebitchontheprairie3321]

wisnu1231 omg yesssss

[@ClassicalNerd]

I'm obliged to fill all earlier requests, but Mahler is one of the most requested composers I've ever gotten, so I'll definitely get to him once the current queue is exhausted.

[@jeremyjones6945]

Great stuff as always. I'm sure there's a drinking game to be had with your use of 'theretofore'... Not a word I've every really heard used before but it should definitely stage a comeback. If I could request Ralph Vaughan Williams be added to the request queue I'd be much obliged.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Vaughan Williams is now in the request pool, since I'm phasing out the queue system. (I just get too many to fulfill on a once-a-week schedule.)

[@sanafarhat97]

Awesome

[@milkygorilla3527]

1:45 that explains the viola solo in the American quartet

[@citrusblast4372]

wish you had added graphics to go along with the talking so I could imagine a more accurate picture of the world at the time. Good video nonetheless

[@ClassicalNerd]

This video is well over two years old; I think you’ll find that my current content is much better on those production-value fronts!

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

I for one think popularity and quality in Art are not at all related. Meaning, you can be popular and be good and you can be unpopular and still be good (and vice versa and vice versa). For example, Stephen King is by no means a good writer by any stretch of the imagination. But he's very popular. Johnann Strauss is very popular, and, like Dvorák, suffers because of that, since his waltzes, for instance, are far from the simplistic, low-brow pieces many people (including critics) think they are.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Absolutely-and it's frustrating when this false popular-vs.-good dichotomy infects the analytical literature. Analysis papers are a dime a dozen on more “difficult” composers, but much rarer on the Dvořáks and Tchaikovskys and Johann Strausses of the world, which makes researching them significantly more difficult.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

@@ClassicalNerd Yes. I'm not in the field myself (I'm a literature critic by training and a translator by profession), but I like to read academic papers on composers and their biographies, and it's frustrating how little you get on those composers that are neglected just because they're popular (whatever, I challenge someone to show me a more "popular" guy than Beethoven and no critic would ever DARE to question HIM!). BTW, love your channel. Only recently came across your videos and am marathoning them. Great content, well researched and I also love your sense of humor!

[@autsni2082]

Nice

[@christiancortes4400]

Please do one of these videos on bizet

[@ClassicalNerd]

As I have replied several times before: I admire your dedication to requesting this, but requesting it on every single video isn't going to make it come faster! I still am obligated to fulfill all earlier requests.

[@cellopianopoetryhappinesst4326]

Very interesting. Please, as you mention new facts, mention the composers age. That would be good. Thank you.

[@ClassicalNerd]

This video is over two years old and my production quality has increased quite a bit since then! I encourage you to check out newer videos.

[@eugenesedita]

Where does the J sound in the name come from? No J in the name. I’ve seen it spelled with the J many times.

[@cooks37]

Ř is pronounced differently than regular R in Czech. Just like Ñ and N have different pronunciations in Spanish. Americans don't know how to pronounce Ř, so they pronounce it as the combination of R and J, which is a close approximation.

[@andy03021]

What about a video on Offenbach

[@ClassicalNerd]

Offenbach is now in the request pool!

[@A432Hz]

Has anyone requested for Anton Bruckner yet?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Yep!

[@stridentscrub6753]

Didn't Dvorak write a requiem ?

[@JG_1998]

Why no Liszt video?

[@Le_Samourai]

Pablo Sarasate plz! Keep it up!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Sarasate is now in the request pool.

[@telephilia]

There are still snobs today who believe that good music must somehow be difficult, who think Dvorak nothing but a glorified re-packager of folk tunes, just another populist (read mediocre) nationalist composer, a Brahms wannabe. But Dvorak is truly a great composer. Listen to just his 7th Symphony if you don't think so.

[@jennifernie6154]

Who would be examples of those snobs! pls answer I need for presentation

[@cooks37]

There's a lot of racism in musicology that pertains to this day.

[@ijopstuff4953]

Spice

[@charlescohen6140]

If classical music and Latin was mandatory in our schools America would not be the cultural and academic cesspool it is. If you could ever visit Yale University in New Haven your eyes will be opened. I would guess at least 40% of the science and technology students, particularly post-grad are Asian. Plus the medical school.

[@ashtonhashbrown6155]

Guys my last name is dvorak and music people always wonder If I'm related to this boomer, which I am..... (I know he's not a boomer, it's just part of the joke.)

[@ClassicalNerd]

I, for one, would be absolutely honored to be related to a hash brown

[@ashtonhashbrown6155]

@@ClassicalNerd hahaha, hashbrown is my nickname my dad gave me. I wouldn't put my real name on my account even though I just revealed it.

[@ramprasada7451]

Dvorak had Train-fetish

[@morganross6399]

He was an ardent trainspotter.