Friday, April 1, 2016

A is for Antonín Dvořák

 
                Welcome to the Blogging From A to Z Challenge! My theme for the challenge this year is classical music. A is for composer Antonín Dvořák. I selected his Humoresque in G-Flat Major Op. 101, No. 7 for today’s featured video. Besides great composers and their works, another benefit of this theme is an introduction to excellent musicians. In this video Yo Yo Ma is playing the cello and Itzhak Perlman is playing the violin, and their performance is amazing!

 



A few quick facts about Antonín Dvořák:

·    Antonín Dvořák (pronounced di-VOR-zhak) was a Czech composer who lived from 1841 to 1904.

·    While giving piano lessons, Dvořák, fell in love with his pupil, Josefína Čermáková, but she did not return his love. He ended up marrying her younger sister, Anna. They had nine children together, six of whom survived infancy.

·    Dvořák applied for and received the Austrian State Prize in 1874. Fellow composer Johannes Brahms joined the jury a few months later. After he reviewed Dvořák’s work, Brahms was said to have been “visibly overcome” by his “mastery and talent.” Brahms was a great help in Dvořák’s career and a good friend.
Antonín and his wife, Anna

·    In 1877, the sheet music for his eight Slavonic Dances sold out in one day!

·    Dvořák was a train spotter, and he spent a lot of his off time at the Franz Josef railway station in Prague. He often asked his pupils to discuss recent train journeys they had made.

·  He lived in New York City from 1892 to 1895, which is where he composed his well-known Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.” He and his family returned to Europe after growing homesick.


Today’s selection is No. 7 in Antonín Dvořák’s piano cycle of Humoresques. Writer, David Hurwitz, said that "the seventh Humoresque is probably the most famous small piano work ever written after Beethoven's Für Elise." You may have heard it before as a theme for Slappy the Squirrel from the Animaniacs cartoon.


Sources:




I’m going to be keeping a YouTube playlist of the videos from each day. I will update the list with the latest letter and add some bonus videos for anyone who might want to hear more. Today I added an extra video of an orchestra conducted by Sergiu Celibidache playing the fourth movement of Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony.
 

 

Have you heard of any of Antonín Dvořák’s work before today? Have you even heard his name before? How do like my playlist idea?

36 comments:

  1. I do like your playlist idea and no I hadn't heard of Dvorak up until today. Interesting though how he married the girl's sister; wonder if he did that to stay close to her?

    betty

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    1. Thanks Betty! You may be right, but I hope he grew to love Anna.

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  2. Sold out in one day? In that day and age, that's really impressive.

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    1. Yes, Alex, that is impressive for that time :)

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  3. your A-Z posts will be fun to listen to and read! Thanks!

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    1. Thanks Kathe! That's what I hoped they would be :)

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  4. What an amazing amount of work to create this wonderful theme for the #Challenge. I love the clarity of the presentation, easy to read, uncluttered. Worth following since I love classical music and love being a student. Happy to let you teach me MORE. Hope you will have time to come and visit during April.

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    1. Thank you for the kind words Stepheny! I wanted to keep things simple, but also educational and interesting :)

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  5. Beautiful music—I think I have heard the Humoresque before, but I didn't know it was Dvořák. Your post makes me want to brush up on my composers and my Animaniacs, too!

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    1. Jennifer, I must admit that I went on an Animaniacs rabbit trail when I first read that ;)

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  6. Sounds like a winner, literally! :)
    No, I'd not heard of him, but if I had I'd have forgotten. I don't remember names of bands, singers, or group of singers. Don't know why, just a thing my mind erases as soon as it's heard. LOL

    Love this opportunity to learn though!

    Thank you for posting for the A to Z! Ninga Minion @YolandaRenee from
    Defending The Pen
    Parallels
    Murderous Imaginings

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    1. Thanks Yolanda! I tend to forget singers or bands, too, unless I listen to them repeatedly.

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  7. What a beautiful piece. A great choice to start your challenge :)
    Debbie

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  8. Well, now I know who composed that. Thanks!

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  9. Playlist is a great idea. What interesting facts about Dvorak. This music stirs my soul in beautiful ways. Thank you so much.

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    1. Thanks Mary! Even though it has a witty element, I find the Humoresque quite moving.

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  10. I am not much into classical music but I must say I enjoyed reading this today!! Good start

    Paula from
    Smidgen, Snippets, & Bits

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  11. I've heard this featured theme before, but didn't know who had composed it. Shows how a classical piece can well outlast the fame of its creator.

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    1. Jen, it is interesting how classical melodies and themes are used so often in TV and movies. I'm sure composers would be proud that their work lived on, even if their names didn't :)

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  12. I love classical music! Yes I have her of Dvorak and enjoy his pieces. I watched the Victor Borge clip also and was laughing my ass off. Very funny.

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    1. Birgit, Victor Borge is great, he will be appearing again in my posts :)

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  13. The fact that he sold out that sheet music in a single day impressed me.

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  14. I have heard of this composer. Great choice for A.

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  15. Neat to brush up on the classics thanks for sharing!

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  16. Loved it
    @CazsBooks
    Http://cazgreenham.blogspot.com

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  17. I'm a classically trained pianist and so I had to backtrack and check out your other artists.
    I can remember performing a piece by Dvorak for an examination.
    I like Dvorak's Requiem...hauntingly beautiful.
    Writer In Transit

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    1. Michelle, I'm glad you are enjoying my theme :) I had fun finding the pieces to use for it!

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