Perhaps unjustly, Antonín Dvořák’s songs are overshadowed by his large-scale works and chamber music despite the fact that he composed songs almost all his life. Lets try to find the answer to the question why still today they have such a strong, direct effect.
Programme
Joint discussion (in Czech)
Antonín Dvořák
Gypsy Songs, Op.55
My Song of Love Rings Through the Dusk
— Intermission —
Antonín Dvořák
In Folk Tone, Op.73, B146
Antonín Dvořák
Humoresque Op. 101, No. 6
Antonín Dvořák
Humoresque Op. 101, No. 7
Antonín Dvořák
Songs to the words of Gustav Pflegr-Moravský
The program is based on a musical part but also on a spoken word that will be given in Czech language only. The program will not be supplied with English subtitles.
Perhaps unjustly, Antonín Dvořák’s songs are overshadowed by his large-scale works and chamber music. He composed songs nearly all his life and they form a remarkably large collection within his life work. In them he likewise applied his extraordinary ability to capture the subtle tremors of the human soul – passion, pain, emptiness, despair, dreaming, bliss, love... To this day, Dvořák's songs are admired for their beautiful melodic lines and their depth of emotional power. Just like in the Four Songs on Poems by Gustav Pfleger Moravský which include revised songs from his very first song cycle Cypresses. Some years later, Dvořák wrote: "Think a boy in love – that is their content." We will also explore the cycles In Folk Tune and Love Songs and will not forget the more popular Gypsy Songs either. Together, we will try to answer why Dvořák’s songs still have such a strong, direct effect.