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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

Antonin Dvorák (pronounced Vorjak) was born to a village butcher and his wife, in Nelahozeves, Bohemia in 1841. As a child he helped in the shop, and also showed talent as a violinist.

At the age of 14 Antonin was sent to relatives in Zlonice, to learn German, viola, organ, pianoforte, and counterpoint by A Liehmann. He then went to The Organ School in Prague, leaving to become a viola player in a band and later in the Prague Orchestra under Smetana.

He fell in love with a girl, but she disappointed him by marrying another man. This caused the devastated young composer to destroy many of his early works. Later he married her sister and rescued parts of his lost work to build into other compositions for the 'cello.

His first symphony in E flat won him a major Austrian national prize (Brahms was on the jury), and from here his work as a composer took off. He visited England some nine times, and his success in Britain was immediate and sustained. Cambridge made him an Hon. DMus. in 1891.

In 1885 he left his job as Professor of Composition at Prague Conservatoire to become Director of the National Conservatoire in New York. He stayed in America for three years, during which he wrote some of his finest works, including his New World Symphony (If you haven't heard this, you could be in for a real treat!). He was immensely influenced in his work by Brahms, Wagner, folk music, and Negro melodies. He, in turn, influenced the Victorian composers with his tremendous musical gifts. The great Czech composer died in Prague in 1904.

Here, this haunting tune with its evocative title is from his song cycle, Seven Gipsy Songs (a strong call of his homeland in Eastern Europe). The songs are: 1. My Song Resounds;  2. My Triangle is Singing;  3. Silent the Woods; 4. Songs my Mother Taught me 5. Sound the Fiddle;  6. Clean Cotton Clothes;  and 7. To the Heights of Tatra.   

This is our MusicSmiles instrumental version of the fourth one: 'Songs my Mother Taught me'. Hope you like it as much as we do . . .

Beautiful isn't it? Like to hear it again . . .?

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