Dvorak, Serenade for Winds Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) was raised in the small village of Nelahozeves 20 miles north of Prague. The town is situated on the Vltava (Moldau), which runs through Prague and is a significant factor in Czech culture. Dvorak’s father was a butcher … Read more
Janáček, Pohádka Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed Pohádka in 1910. Pohádka means tale (or fairy tale) in Czech, so we can consider it in our recent series focusing on music for children. The tale is based on the epic poem The Tale of Tsar Berendyey by Vasily Zhukovsky (1783-1852). Zhukovsky’s life and … Read more
Dvorák, String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 (Scherzo) It was described as irresistible on the one hand, and roundly criticized on the other. Antonin Dvorák’s String Quintet, Op. 77 has generated some conflicts. It is a relatively early work written in 1875. Dvorák (1841-1904) … Read more
I first heard the song 32 years ago, sung by a beguiling Slovakian soprano (well past her prime) who stared at me incredulously: “You do not know Dvorak’s bea-uuuu-ti-ful “Songs my Mother Taught Me? Wvat is de matter with you?” With lightning speed, she plopped … Read more
My last post chronicled the bumps I weathered along the road to learning history – including a pretty noticeable bump in graduate school. During a semester at Charles University in Prague, I took course on contemporary Czech political history. In that class, I realized I’d … Read more
