Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) was born in the Bohemian village of Nelahozeves, which is situated northwest of Prague along the Vltava River. From a young age, he demonstrated musical aptitude on both strings (violin and viola) and keyboard instruments (piano and organ). Early in his career, he performed in ensembles and worked as a church organist in Prague. Over time, however, he dedicated himself to composition, ultimately securing an international reputation.  

Dvořák wrote extensively for orchestra, and his compositional output spanned multiple genres, including symphonies, overtures, serenades, suites, and concertos. He also composed operas and choral works, chamber music, and solo piano pieces.  

In many of his works, Dvořák drew inspiration from the folk and vernacular musical traditions. For example, each of the sixteen orchestral pieces collectively titled The Slavonic Dances (1878–1886) was given a subtitle corresponding to specific dance genres from the region, such as dumka, furiant, kolo, odzemek, polka, skočná, sousedská, and špacírka. Three of these—polka, sousedská, and furiant—are also infused into another symphonic piece, Czech Suite (1879). 

In 1892, Dvořák moved to New York City to assume the directorship of the National Conservatory of Music of America.  During his three-year stay in the United States, he became interested in American musical traditions—most notably those of Native Americans and African Americans—and his compositions from this era reflect such inspiration. Two such examples—Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” and Quartet No. 12 “American Quartet” (both from 1893) showcase the composer’s ability to nuance European forms (symphonies, string quartets) with the sounds he encountered in the United States. 

Dvořák's “New World” Symphony follows the conventional four-movement European format, opening with powerful timpani strikes that harken more to Beethoven’s own Ninth Symphony than any North American folk tradition. A bold theme emerges among the lower strings, spreading through the horns, and echoing throughout the full work.

In the second movement of the symphony, Dvořák’s slow, lyrical writing resembles an African-American spiritual, whereas the steady pulsations and cross rhythms in his quartet evoke the trains he rode during his travels. The result is an affecting, homesick longing that mirrored the composers own nostalgia for Bohemia. The third movement begins with a reference to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, playing the thunderous scherzo against more relaxed, folkloric motifs.  

Dvořák concludes with a high-energy climax (the inspiration for John Williams’ Jaws theme), brilliant and effective in its six-note simplicity. The clarinets emerge with a dreamy second motif that connects the symphony’s disparate chapters into a satisfying denouement. The drama and tenderness of Dvořák’s glimpse into a “New World” endure with new significance upon every listen.

- Adapted from notes by Dr. Melanie Zeck