Dvorak... New world Symphony

[oldenough]

Dvorak's "New world Symphony", This has been a favourite of mine for many years, and I can't help but think what an influence this Symphony has had on many levels in American music. and indeed the fim industry. For me I listen to it and it pictures the Mid-west and far West perfectly. I can't think of another piece of music that is so pictorial, except maybe Beethoven's Symphony no 6 "Pastorial". Anybody else enjoy this Symphony??

[Marvel]

It' s a great symphony! To me, a lot of Sibelius' music hits me the same way. Sibelius was a synesthete, and it influenced his work a great deal.

Bruce

[LarryC]

This is a nice writeup IMO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k). For some reason, I have thought of it as suggesting American Indians in the eastern forest, especially in the second, slow movement, where I think of Indians stealing through the woods. He seems to have been thinking that way: "Dvorák stated that he regarded the symphony's second movement as a "sketch or study for a later work, either a cantata or opera ... based upon Longfellow's [Song of] Hiawatha" "

"Dvorák was interested in the Native American music and African-American spirituals he heard in America. Upon his arrival in America, he stated:

"I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called ***** melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States ... They are the folk songs of America ...."

"I have not actually used any of the [Native American] melodies. I have simply written original themes embodying the peculiarities of the Indian music, and developed them with all the resources of modern rhythms, counterpoint, and orchestral color." "

The NA and African American implications probably come from the prominent use of the pentatonic scale (

). The Midwest? He spent a summer in Iowa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k

I think it's a very great symphony from beginning to end.

If anyone is looking for a recording, I prefer a DVD, and I know of none better than Abbado conducting the Vienna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ehF0KEvTe4. In fact, that Youtube segment is the very Indian-evoking passage I like so well.

[oldenough]

Hi Bruce, Interesting subject ( Synesthesia). I have not taken a great interest in Sibelius and his music, but what music of his that I have I find very enjoyable. I will spend some time to now liisten.

[Wrinkles]

Oldenough,

Interesting you have listed 2 of my favorites.

I would put Sheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov on the list as well.

It is amazing how well music can take you on such a journey.

[jcmusic]

I just happen to have this one on a R2R tape 7.5ips and do enjoy it from time to time.

Jay

[garymd]

I listen to it quite often also. The copy I seem to play most often is the Living Stereo SACD with Fritz Reiner and The Chicago Symphony.

And yes, the same combo doing Scheherazade on Living Stereo is hard to beat, especially if you can find a copy on vinyl.

Larry C. turned me on to both. Great stuff!

[oldmako]

I picked up a very nice copy of this symphony at a thrift shop last month. The sleeve is a bit rough but the LP itself is in great shape.

My father was a professional musician in a large metropolitan symphony so I grew up listening to classical music. He grew tired of this piece because they played it frequently but he is a die hard classical music man. His stereo is on from sunup till sundown. I bought him a pair of Klipsch (CL) for Christmas.

My day usually begins with classical through my Fortes and a vintage Sansui G-5700. It's a shame that so many don't know what they're missing.

[oldtimer]

No doubt oldenough, New World is a giant classic symphonic favorite.

[liebherr954]

Ive been expanding my musical interests lately, I just listened to Symphony No. 9 and I was completely blown away!

[Mallette]

Ah, the New World. Regarded as a popular "war horse" in snoot circles. Hard to figure how a slav managed to so perfectly image a new born nation in so little time here.

About 1979 I was working for a contractor at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas when he got a contract to install a multi-image history of Fort Sill for their museum. It was a three slide projector job using primitive, but effective, computers to drive the program. The program was stored and run from a reel-to-reel. I chose a Teac 4330 for this purpose which left me three channels to work with. I won't claim to have invented the center channel, but I'd not seen such used before...it was just logical to me.

I'd already worked with the writer a couple of years on the Sheppard project and so we collaborated closely and I had a free hand in the audio. I chose the Dvorak as the logical "big sound tapestry." The program was very well researched and written and we had a great staff of artists producing orginal art. One of the guys was gay and we'd worked with him for a number of years on a prior job in Big Spring where a number of us had been prior to joining this contract. Great guy, and fine artist, but I still laugh when I recall the boss, a big Texan who constantly sucked on giant cigars and looked for all the world like a passing locomotive walked down Glenn's row of first proofs of cowboys, indians, and calvary. Thankfully, Glenn wasn't present. He finally paused at a picture of a cowboy with a bright yellow bandanna blowing in the breeze atop a fine pastel cowboy shirt riding a paint with long flowing mane and tail in the breeze and exploded "G****D**** sissy cowboys! I WILL NOT HAVE G****D**** SISSY COWBOYS!" Thankfully, he left the job of explaining the problem to me.

Beyond the original art, we used a lot of art from George Catlin, the great artist of the period, and original photos. The final piece was marvelous. I edited an "overture" from the well-known "going home" movement for the darkened house that really quieted the tourists and visitors and the screen opened with a fade up to dawn over the Wichta Mountains.

I chose big Norman Labs speakers for the LR and center channnels and placed them in the solid stoned corners of the auditorium area that had been built into the end of one of the historic barracks built by the buffalo soliders. That in itself was an adventure. Right before the premier I went to set up and found heavy curtains over the speakers. I was, of course, horrified as the sound was like one had thrown a blanket over the speakers. I was told a Colonel thought they were ugly and ordered the curtains. I asked him to come by so I could demonstrate how badly it affected the sound.

He said "Sounds fine...what's the problem?" OK, I was young and hadn't given thought the fact this guy had 20 years in the ARTILLERY. He was way past too many barrages to hear much of anything.

So, after a long search, I found replacement material that had minimum impact on the sound.

The program was used for over a decade until the slides had faded to unusable. When I last visited there in the mid-90's the theater was still there as well as the speakers, but I am not sure what they were using it for.

OK, so my memories have dragged this out... The point is that the Dvorak is what made the show. Some people were moved to tears. You have to bear in mind that multi-image was as magic as IMAX 3D at that time and big sound was pretty rare.

You'd have thought the score was made to order. This thread makes me want to dig around as I think I may have a copy on RR buried up somewhere.

In any event, hail, Dvorak! He understood the American character better than we did at the time. He made a musical image of the great quote that "...the west is a place in the mind."

Dave

[Marvel]

In any event, hail, Dvorak! He understood the American character better than we did at the time. He made a musical image of the great quote that "...the west is a place in the mind."

Dave

It might be interesting to hear what he would come up with for the "American character" today...

You are such a fine storyteller, Dave. Thanks for sharing.

My best friend works at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, PA. He has some great stories of exhibits and how they have affected people.

Bruce

[Mallette]

It might be interesting to hear what he would come up with for the "American character" today...

Ouch. Best not go there...

Don't want to hijack, but it really was the memory of multiimage, a short-lived but very powerful medium. I saw shows with up to 30 slide projectors as well as multiple cine projectors going at once, and read of installations of up to a 100. At those sizes, bulbs were burning out all the time and they had devised auto changers to replace them!

Of course, computer displays replaced them, but the artistry of sequenced, separate stills with various occasional vertical, horizontal, or full screen panoramas has really become a lost art, though at least big sound survives.

OK, end hijack...

Dave

[TheEvan]

I'll echo the preceeding and say "great account, well-told", Dave.

Besides several fine readings of the New World, I also have a recording of the daring Kazuhito Yamashita performing his impossible arrangement/reduction of the entire symphony on solo classical guitar. No overdubs, natch.