Elise Bruns

Listen to the Music

Erik Paffatt
December 7, 2014
Antonin Dvorak A Romantic Composer
Antonin Dvorak is often not one of the composers that come to mind when you think of
Romantic Era composers. Even though he can be overlooked, his dedication and love for making
music can be seen through his constant perseverance (despite many hardships) to make and
produce music. He was a great composer during the Romantic Era, and his music embodies
many of the emotion aspects of that time.
Dvorak was a composer who lived during the Romantic Era, and to understand his life
and music, one has to first understand what was going on historically and culturally. The
Romantic Era first started through literature, rather than through music or artwork (Paffatt). Just
before this era began, the Enlightenment was taking place. This movement focused on a positive
view towards learning and knowledge. The symphony was also first standardized during the
Enlightenment (Paffatt). Generally, music was about sounding pleasant to the ear and containing
a balance of difficulty. With these in mind, many composers were commissioned what to
compose and what their pieces should sound like. As the Enlightenment ended and the Romantic
Era began, composers began to break from that audience centered view of their compositions.
Music began to be seen as a serious endeavor and as a form of art. The importance of the
individual and emotional expression revolutionized the type of music that was heard, along with
a fascination of things supernatural, abstract, or imaginary (Paffatt). Specifically, music
transitioned from sounding balanced, with simple harmonies and steady tempos, to emotional

and lyrical with expanded harmonies and flexible rhythms. During the middle of the 19th
Century, composers began splitting into two major groups, Traditionalists and Futurists.
Traditionalists believed Beethoven was a pinnacle point, and they composed much of their music
(called absolute music) with classical and baroque elements. Much of the music Dvorak first
composed was absolute music (inspired by Mozart and Beethovan), and contained no association
to literary works outside of the pieces themselves.
Antonin Dvorak was born in Bohemia (now called the Czech Republic) and got his first
influence of music from working and living in his fathers tavern (Beveridge, 1). In the town
Dvorak also was able to hear pieces by already famous composers such as Mozart. He began his
schooling in a basic schoolhouse, and started learning music on the violin. As he progressed
academically, changing from school to school until he was taught by tutors, he began to learn the
organ and piano (Beveridge, 1). When he was sixteen, Dvorak moved to Prague, where he
became a student in the Institute for Church Music. Prague was the second-largest city after
Vienna, and as such was very cosmopolitan (Beveridge, 1). Because it was such a large city,
there were many different ethnicities of the people living there, although primarily there were
Czechs and Germans. Dvorak was swept up in the city life, although many Czechs felt that they
were being Germanized. Although Dvorak felt this along with his fellow Czechs, he also
sympathized with the German attitudes as well (Beveridge, 2). Dvoraks first official position
was as a violist in a small orchestra. This orchestra was then offered a position at the Provisional
Czech Theater, where Dvorak played as principal for the next nine years (Beveridge, 2). To
supplement playing in the orchestra, Dvorak also began to teach piano lessons. Also while living
in Prague, Dvorak began to compose some music, mainly a few songs and a couple symphonies.
It was hard for him to compose though, because he lacked a piano of his own. From then on he

began to compose many different works; however, he didnt really have any means to get his
works published. He also struggled because he began to experiment in his music (his music
didnt sound distinctly Czech), and was unable to gain lots of support (Beveridge, 2). He
composed his first opera in 1971 titled Alfred. After gaining a little popularity after his second
opera, Dvorak felt confident enough to leave his position as principal violist in order to compose
full time (Beveridge, 3). It was perhaps because he was able to devote more time to composing
that his pieces gain popularity, and many became published. He especially gained popularity
with his pieces that were very Czech patriotic. However, his popularity was short lived because
his second opera, King and Collier, was found not to be able to be performed. For this period of
time, Dvorak was making very little money. This would have been especially hard on him,
because he was expecting his first child and getting married. His anxiety can be heard through
the music he composed during this time (for example, his Fourth Symphony). In order to make a
living, Dvorak began work as a church organist. He struggled for years composing music,
because some of his pieces would be liked and other would not be. His family life also struggled
because his first three children all had died in childhood. He was able, however to receive grants
to help fund his music from the Austrian government. Another composer to receive these grants
was Johannes Brahms. Brahms and Dvorak became great friends, and Brahms often gave Dvorak
advice (Lloyd-Jones, 1). Dvoraks breakthrough came when Brahms showed some of Dvoraks
compositions to his publisher. As he passed along more and more of Dvoraks pieces, Dvorak
gained popularity and eventually international success from a Dvoraks Slavonic Dances. Part of
Dvoraks international success comes from what was going on historically at the time. In the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, there were many bans placed on performances by Czech composers.

Because of this, Dvorak was invited to perform his pieces in other countries. Because of his
gaining popularity, he then became a professor of composition in Prague (Schwartz, 1).
Even though Dvorak became very popular in Europe, he also began a career in America
when he was offered a job as an artistic director in New York. To help set the standard for
American composers, Dvorak went through an American phase (Schwartz, 1). During this
time he composed his Ninth Symphony From the New World and his String Quartet The
American Flag. He visited many sites while in America, such as Omaha, Chicago, and Niagara
Falls. As he continued to write music, Dvorak became inspired by African-American and Native
American rhythms and melodies (Beveridge, 3). In his own compositions, Dvorak intricately
wrote in themes inspired from these melodies. Dvorak also became homesick after living in
America for three years, and spurred by a depression in the 1890s, Dvorak returned and stayed in
Prague. Perhaps to help with his homesickness, Dvorak composed many pieces about his home
as well as about America (Schwartz, 2).
Upon returning to Prague, Dvorak came back to the conservatory where he had taught
before. Shortly after he returned, he started to write program music (music containing a literary
association). It was then he composed many symphonic poems and operas (Beveridge, 4). At this
time he was also likely inspired by the works of Wagner and Liszt, who were also program music
composers. They were known as Futurists, and much of their music was a break from tradition
and contained new/experimental forms and styles (Paffatt). Dvorak modeled his late music in
this style. As years went by however, Dvorak became sick with neurosis. He experienced anxiety
and stress in situations that were unreasonable, and often felt like he was under pressure. He
started to not compose as much music as he had previously, and didnt travel as much. When
looking at Dvoraks life, its easy to see how many struggles and hardships he endured. From the

beginning he had a hard time composing (at first without a piano of his own), to then he
struggled to make a breakthrough with his compositions, to the deaths of his first three children,
and later his mental sickness until his death. But even though these events happened in his life,
he always seemed to persevere.
This attitude can be especially heard in his Ninth Symphony From the New World.
This symphony contains four movements, as can be expected. Throughout they symphony, a
fanfare melody can be heard either triumphantly or lurking in the background. He uses this
technique throughout the symphony with other melodies as well (Hughes, 1). In the fourth
movement of his Ninth Symphony, begins in triumphant main theme. But after the initial
exposition ends, a beautiful soft lyrical melody begins played by a solo woodwind. This then
comes to a sweeping melody played by violins. During the next section, it can be heard the same
triumphant optimist tone and colors that were used to open the movement. During the soft
development parts that follow, it can be heard a quiet curiosity. This could be tribute to the new
wonders and sites Dvorak saw in America when he wrote the piece. The whole movement builds
up to the final climax, a glorious celebration, perhaps representing the culture and history Dvorak
was experiencing. Even though there are sad, and slower lyrical melodies, Dvoraks optimism
can be heard through the reoccurring melodies.
Reactions to Dvorak and his compositions have varied greatly from the time they were
written today. Back then, he was looked at as being rigid because he mainly wrote absolute
music. He could also have been viewed this way because he was one of the first Czech
composers to touch and write absolute music. Many other composers of his time wrote program
music. He also is not known for his pieces containing vocal parts, even though these contribute
to about half of his total works (Beveridge, 4). Today, one of his most famous pieces is his Ninth

Symphony. He is also often looked at today as a great nationalist for the Czechs. Even though he
embraced his nationality, he was very much inspired by French, Italian, and German composers
ever since he began studying music (Beveridge, 4). He wanted his music to be looked at as
cosmopolitan and universal. This misconception could be attributed to the attitude of many of the
Germans at that time. Germans had a view of what Slavic music was, and to them Dvorak fit the
description. He was viewed as a rustic, and even though he was highly talented musically, he was
still primitive (Beveridge, 4). His music could initially back up this image, but upon further
listening and analysis it can be proven that his music is actually complex and emotional, fitting
with his lifes story (Beveridge, 4).
When thinking of the Romantic Era and the composers that lived during that time, often
one thinks of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Wagner. It is only upon further study that we learn
Dvorak should be thought of just as much as the other composers of his time. Through his music
you can see reflections of the different events that were happening in his life, and how he always
seemed to keep an optimistic view, despite many hardships. He expressed himself very
emotionally through his music, a quality definitive of Romantic Era composers. It is also clear to
see how Dvorak viewed music as a serious endeavor, and a great work of art.

Works Cited:
Beveridge, David R. "Dvok Biography." Dvorak American Heritage Association.
Dvorak American Heritage Association, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Class notes as taught by Erik Paffatt.
Hughes, Karolina. "Symphony No. 9 "From The New World" ." Antonin Dvorak. David
Beveridge, 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2014
Lloyd-Jones, David Mathias. "Antonin Dvorak (Bohemian Composer)." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Schwarm, Betsy. "New World Symphony (work by Dvorak)." Encyclopedia Britannica
Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Schwartz, Steve. "Antonin Dvorak." Classical Net. Classical Net, 2014. Web. 7 Dec.
2014.