Antonin Dvořák

Carnival Overture

1891Played by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Dvořák was born in 1841 in Nelahozeves, Bohemia, near

Prague in what is now the Czech Republic. He was the son of a

butcher, and his father hoped he would follow in his footsteps.

Dvořák birth house in

Nelahozeves

France Bohemia

AustriaHungary

Italy

Nelahozeves

Dvořák trained as a butcher but also took music lessons at the local village school. At age 16 he left for Prague to study at the organ school there, with the reluctant blessing of his parents.While there he also became proficient on the violin and viola. This came in

handy, for he made his living throughout the 1860’s as a viola

player in the Prague National Theater, whose principal conductor after 1866

was the famous Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. Dvořák made the

equivalent of $7.50 a week (probably around $800 in current dollars).

After marrying in 1873 Dvořák left the National Theater to become organist of St. Adalbert’s Church in Prague. This

paid quite a bit better and allowed him some free time to compose. The

higher social standing of this position was important in making new contacts.

By 1875 Dvořák had produced five symphonies, two string quintets, a

piano trio, at least one opera, and a baby boy (with the help of his wife, of

course).

1875 was also a year of sadness for Dvořák, as his new baby daughter died, one of three of his children to

die in infancy. He poured out his grief in his Piano Trio No. 2 in G minor, followed by his Stabat Mater, the

Latin text of which expresses Mary’s mourning over the death of her son

Jesus Christ.The following year was extraordinarily productive for Dvořák, which saw his Symphony No. 5, String Serenade and String Quintet No. 2, among others.

In 1877 Dvořák learned from the influential critic Eduard Hanslick that his music had come to the

attention of Johannes Brahms, the most famous composer in Europe at the time and much admired by

Dvořák.Brahms interceded with his publisher

Simrock on Dvořák’s behalf in order to get some of his music published. The two later became fast friends, in spite of Dvořák’s admiration for the music of

Richard Wagner.

Simrock’s published versions of Dvořák’s music were immediately successful. This led to the successful premiere abroad of his Stabat Mater in 1880, which in turn

earned him an invitation to visit England, which he did to great acclaim in 1883.

Subsequently he wrote his Symphony No. 7 for a performance in London, which ocurred in 1885. In all, Dvořák visited

London nine times, often conducting his own works..

In the early 1870’s Dvořák labored under the influence of Richard Wagner, a phase that lasted about five years. The major works

during this time were his first symphony and the opera “The King and the Charcoal Burner”,

which failed. Eventually he decided Wagner was better at being Wagner than he was, and

went in a new direction. That direction was folk music, which Dvořák attempted to work into his compositions to give them a Czech national flavor. When he

later came to America he encouraged American composers to do the same with

their folk music.

While Dvořák studied folk music, he never used actual folk tunes in his

music but rather the rhythms, inflections, intervals and forms that

made them characteristically Czech. Dance forms were especially

influential, particularly the “dumka” and the “furiant”. Dvořák’s attempts to produce a national

style of music extended to his many operas, many of which were based on Bohemian or Czech stories and fairy

tales. Many were fine works, but only Rusalka holds the international stage

today.

Dvořák met the prominent Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky while the latter was in Prague preparing for a

production of his opera Eugene Onegin at the National Theater. Dvořák admired the work, calling it “such beautiful music as

permeates the soul and cannot be forgotten”. During his visit Tchaikovsky heard rehearsals of Dvořák ‘s Seventh

Symphony, which he admired.This meeting led to invitations to visit Russia, which he did in 1889 and succeding years. He conducted

orchestras in Moscow and St. Petersburg in his own works.

Around 1889 Dvořák was offered a job as professor of composition at the Prague

Conservatory. At first he turned it down, but then accepted it, probably due to financial

problems due to payment disagreements with his publisher Simrock over his Eighth Symphony.

In 1891 Dvořák was awarded an honorary degree by Cambridge University in recognition

of his contribution to the musical life of England. He responded with his Requiem, premiered

later that year at the Triennial Music Festival in Birmingham. That same year he was awarded

another honorary degree from Charles University in Prague.

Soon after receiving his Cambridge degree Dvořák started work on the Overture

“Carnival”. It was to be part of a set of three concert overtures or tone poems on the subjects of “Nature, Life and Love”. The first eventually became “In Nature’s Realm”, the second “Carnival”, and the

third “Othello”. The three are connected by a theme which appears in all three, given first to the clarinets in each case.Dvořák gave the premiere of the set on

April 28, 1892 at the Rudolfinium in Prague during a series of concerts he

gave of his own music before departing for America in the fall.

Into the basic sonata plan of the piece, he inserted, at the beginning of the

development section, a haunting and wistful paragraph led by the English horn and flute

to portray, he said, "a pair of straying lovers," the wanderer apparently having

found a companion. Following this tender, contrasting episode, the festive music

returns and mounts to a spirited coda to conclude this evergreen Overture.

Dvořák said that the Carnival Overture was meant to depict "a lonely, contemplative

wanderer reaching at twilight a city where a festival is in full swing. On every side is

heard the clangor of instruments, mingled with shouts of joy and the unrestrained hilarity of the people giving vent to their

feelings in songs and dances."

In 1892 Dvořák was contacted by Mrs. Jeannette Thurber, a wealthy New York socialite and

philanthropist, to become the director of the newly formed National Conservatory at an

unheard of salary of $15,000 per year. She also requested Dvořák write a piece to celebrate the

400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the new world on a text Mrs. Thurber provided. The piece would be performed upon

Dvořák’s arrival in New York. Dvořák accepted on both counts.

The promised poem did not arrive, however, and Dvořák feared he would not have enough time to complete the piece. So he turned to the ancient hymn of the church “Te Deum Laudamus” (Thee, O God, we praise) for his text. The hymn inspired

some of Dvořák’s best music, and the performance was a success.

While working in New York became terribly homesick. He heard about a Czech farming

community in Iowa, Spillville by name, from a Czech-American businessman. After finishing the “New World” symphony Dvořák went there to spend the summer of 1893. He drew much

comfort from conversations with his fellow-countrymen there.

While in New York Dvořák encouraged American composers to craft an American national music using native themes, much as he had done for Bohemia. He met with many American musical

leaders, including the arranger of African-American spirituals Harry T. Burleigh. Dvořák

was taken enough with American folk music that it served as inspiration for his symphony “From the New World”, finished in New York in 1893.

While in Spillville Dvořák completed a string quintet and the “American” string quartet, one

of his most famous works. The quartet was first read by a group in Chicago, where the

Dvořáks stopped to take in the 1893 World’s Fair, as they had on the way to Spillville from New York. It is also probable that Dvořák first

got the inspiration for his opera Rusalka in Spillville, when he happened on a local “water

nymph” bathing nude in the Turkey River. Dvořák’s homesickness was not completely assuaged by his contact with the Spillvillians, and when Mrs. Thurber started having trouble paying his salary Dvořák resigned his position and went back home to Bohemia to become

the director of the Prague Conservatory.

After returning to Prague in 1895 Dvořák went to London to hear the premiere of

his now-famous Cello Concerto. Later he began work on what became his most

well-known opera, “Rusalka”. The story, based on Czech folk-tales, is kind of a

twisted version of “The Little Mermaid”. Dvořák had become a hero in his

native land. Sadly he did not live to enjoy his status very long, for he died

of heart failure after a five-week illness in 1904. His funeral was a

national event.

Rusalka

Song to the Moonsung by

Anna Netrebko

Rusalka is daughter of the Water Goblin who rules the

lake. She falls in love with a prince who comes to the area to hunt, and wants to become

human so she can be with him. The witch Jezibaba tells her it is

a bad idea; if she becomes human she will lose the power

of speech, and if the Prince betrays her, they will both be damned. Rusalka drinks the proffered potion anyway, and

pleads with the moon to tell the prince of her love.

Written to celebrate the

400th anniversary of Christopher

Columbus’ 1492 voyage to the new world.

Te Deum laudamus:te Dominum confitemur.Te aeternum Patremomnis terra veneratur.

We praise thee, O God:

    we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee,    the Father

everlasting.

Tibi omnes Angeli;tibi caeli et universae Potestates;Tibi Cherubim et Seraphimincessabili voce proclamant:

To thee all Angels cry

aloud;    the

Heavens, and all

the Powers therein.To thee

Cherubim and Seraphim    continually

do cry:

Holy, Holy, Holy :

    Lord God of Sabaoth;Heaven and

earth are full of the

Majesty of thy glory.

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,Dominus Deus Sabaoth.Pleni sunt caeli et terramajestatis gloriae tuae.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.The glorious company of the Apostles  praise thee.The goodly fellowship of the Prophets  praise thee.The noble army of Martyrs  praise thee.

Te per orbem terrarumsancta confitetur Ecclesia,Patrem immensae majestatis:Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.

The holy Church throughout all the

world doth acknowledge thee;

The Father of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Te Deum laudamus:te Dominum confitemur.Te aeternum Patremomnis terra veneratur.

We praise thee, O God :

    we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee :    the Father

everlasting.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.

Thou art the King of Glory

O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son 

of the Father.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,non horruisti Virginis uterum.Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

When thou tookest upon

thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the

Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst

overcome the sharpness

of death thou didst

open the Kingdom of

Heaven to all believers.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

We therefore pray thee, help

thy servants whom thou

hast redeemed with thy

precious blood.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.judex crederis esse venturus.

Thou sittest at the right hand

of God in the glory of the Father. We

believe that thou shalt

come to be our Judge.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

We therefore pray thee, help

thy servants whom thou

hast redeemed with thy

precious blood.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.

Make them to

be numbered

with thy Saints in

glory everlasting. O Lord,

save thy people 

and bless thine

heritage.

Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum. Per singulos dies benedicimus te;Et laudamus Nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

Govern them and

lift them up for ever.

Day by day we

magnify thee;

And we worship

thy Name ever world

without end.

Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire. Miserere nostri Domine, miserere nostri.

Vouchsafe, O Lord

to keep us this day

without sin.O Lord,

have mercy upon us;

have mercy upon us.

Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten

upon us    as our trust

is in thee.

In te, Domine, speravi:non confundar in aeternum.

O Lord, in thee

have I trusted:    let me never be confound

ed.

Benedicamus Patrem, et Filium cum Sancto Spiritu. Laudemus et superexaltemus eum in saecula. Alleluja!

Let us bless the Father, and

the Son, with the Holy Spirit.

Let us praise and exalt

Him above all for ever.

Alleluja!