Antonín Dvořák's 'New World Symphony' – an 'American' anthem that delighted, divided a nation (pt.1)
Antonín Dvořák enjoyed near universal popularity in the United States by the time he arrived in New York in September 1892 to lead the National Conservatory of Music. The conservatory’s founder had great hopes his stewardship would elevate the institution to rival those of Europe, while others believed he could help the country’s classical music culture develop its own voice. Dvořák came to believe that “Negro melodies” should form the basis for a distinctly American classical style. He was not the first to say so. But the Czech composer’s outsized stature and outsider status r...
Source: english.radio.cz