Dvorák: Symphony No 9 'from The New World'.

I'm still a novice in the world of classical music and every week or so I discover something new and amazing. My shiny new toy for the past few weeks though has been Anton Dvorak. Anton Dvorak was Czech, born in Prague in 1841. He died in 1904, also in Prague. He wrote a wide range of music from opera to symphonies. However he is particularly well known for two pieces of music, his Ninth Symphony and Cello Concerto. He wrote his Ninth Symphony (aka The New World Symphony or 'From the New World') after spending 3 years (from 1892-5)in America as a director of the National Conservatory in New York. He taught composition while producing the ...  Read the complete review

Anton Dvorak, he's the one that wrote that music for the famous Hovis bread adverts. Well, he didn't write the music for them, Hovis decided that his New World Symphony would be the perfect music for advertising their bread. I suppose it did work quite well, who doesn't start humming the tune as they think of Hovis?? Anyway, Anton Dvorak was born in Prague in 1841 and had lessons in singing, on violin, organ and piano. His New World Symphony was written after a 3yr visit to America, and supposedly contains some elements of the Black slaves music, although there are no actual Negro tunes used in it. He also wrote many operas and is also very well ...  Read the complete review