Page 216 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

214 NATIONALISM AND FOLK MUSIC

place in the theatre orchestra to character. His Czech Suite (1879), to pressure to accept, after his
concentrate on composition, and for example, has two movements family heard that the salary he
the critical success of his stirring completely modeled on Bohemian would earn per annum was
hymn of Czech national pride The folk dances: the polka, in the equivalent to working 25 years
Heirs of the White Mountain (1873) second movement, and the slow at the Prague Conservatory.
marked the beginning of his “sousedská” in the fourth. Dvorˇák’s Among the talented students
recognition as a composer. seventh and eighth symphonies that Thurber encouraged to apply
By 1880, Dvorˇák had cemented were also particularly Bohemian— to her conservatory, regardless of
his reputation as the greatest of the seventh has clear Slavonic gender, ethnicity, or disability, was
the Czech nationalist composers, influences, while the eighth sounds an African American singer, Henry
particularly through his Slavonic like a joyful folk celebration. (Harry) Thacker Burleigh, who
Dances (1878; 1886), inspired by enrolled in 1892, contributing to
Brahms’s Hungarian Dances (1869). The New World his fees by working as a handyman
However, Dvorˇák’s approach to By the end of the century, Dvorˇák’s and cleaner in the building. His
his orchestral dances was quite fame was spreading beyond his singing attracted the attention of
different from that used by Brahms. homeland to England and the Dvorˇák, and Burleigh later recalled
Whereas the Viennese composer United States. In 1891, New York singing old African American
made verbatim use of traditional musical philanthropist Jeannette hymns to the composer: “I gave
tunes for his collection, Dvorˇák’s Thurber asked Dvorˇák to direct her him what I knew of Negro songs.”
lively dances did not borrow but National Conservatory of Music.
were newly composed orchestral Knowing that he had done much to Listening and responding
works imbued with national establish Czech music, she wanted These “Negro spirituals,” as they
him to inspire her students to find a came to be known, were among
path toward an American national the musical ideas that Dvorˇák
Harry Burleigh was the first black musical style. Dvorˇák, however, drew on in his Symphony No. 9
composer to write down spirituals,
influencing future American music. was reluctant to leave Prague for (“From the New World”), in which
Dvorˇák greatly admired his fine a long contract and initially turned he turned his attention from his
baritone voice and the songs he sang. down the offer, although he gave in native folk music to that of his
adopted home. “From the New
World” was inspired by both
plantation songs and Native
American chants; Dvorˇák felt
strongly that this music of the
poor of America could serve as
the rootstock for a national musical

In the negro melodies of
America I discover all that
is needed for a great and
noble school of music.
Antonin Dvorˇák

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