Masterpiece Dvořák
Symphony no.9
- commissioned by the New York Philharmonic when the Czech composer Dvořák was working at the New York conservatory
- parts of the Ninth Symphony were inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic Native American themed poem The Song of Hiawatha
- Dvořák thought that new American music should be based on Negro spirituals and Native American songs. He made this belief concrete in his Ninth, which not coincidentally was given the name 'From the New World'
- A critic wrote after the work’s première: ‘It’s an idealized slave song made to fit the impressive quiet of night on the prairie.’
Five new masterpieces in 2018-2019
In season 18-19 the Concertgebouw presents five new Masterpieces: five highpoints of music history that you have to hear live at least once in your lifetime. Plus a comprehensive programme of participatory projects (in collaboration with Musica) and in-depth context activities.
