Post by erik on Sept 30, 2023 18:28:55 GMT -5
The final Classical Works Spotlight for September 2023 focuses on the "nature" part of Antonin Dvorak's "Nature, Life, and Love" trilogy of concert overtures.
Dvorak: IN NATURE’S REALM, OP. 91
In the spring of 1881, about a year and a half before visiting the New World (the United States, specifically), Antonin Dvorak three concert overtures that he referred to as “Nature, Life, and Love”. The “life” one was the famous Carnival Overture, arguably the most popular of the trilogy, while the “love” one was the Shakespeare-inspired Othello Overture. The one dealing with nature was “In Nature’s Realm”. Like its companion pieces in this trilogy of concert overtures (which may also be considered symphonic tone poems in a way as well), “In Nature’s Realm” is redolent of melodies based on the ethnic folk music of Dvorak’s native Bohemia, and also nearby Moravia. Brief little motifs echoing in the flutes and oboes, meant to represent the songs of birds, introduce the principal elements; and while the rest of the orchestration of the work is fairly large (using three trombones and cymbals, among other instrumentation), the main parts of the work have a fair amount in common with the Third Symphony of Dvorak’s close friend and contemporary Johannes Brahms, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, in the depiction of the natural world. “In Nature’s Realm” was premiered in April 1882 with the composer conducting the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague; and both it and its companion pieces were also heard during the first few weeks in concerts held in New York City in early 1883, also under Dvorak’s direction.
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/JUN MARKL (Telarc)
Included:
CELLO CONCERTO IN B MINOR, OP. 104 (Cello: ZUILL BAILEY)
THE WATER GOBLIN, OP. 107
Dvorak: IN NATURE’S REALM, OP. 91
In the spring of 1881, about a year and a half before visiting the New World (the United States, specifically), Antonin Dvorak three concert overtures that he referred to as “Nature, Life, and Love”. The “life” one was the famous Carnival Overture, arguably the most popular of the trilogy, while the “love” one was the Shakespeare-inspired Othello Overture. The one dealing with nature was “In Nature’s Realm”. Like its companion pieces in this trilogy of concert overtures (which may also be considered symphonic tone poems in a way as well), “In Nature’s Realm” is redolent of melodies based on the ethnic folk music of Dvorak’s native Bohemia, and also nearby Moravia. Brief little motifs echoing in the flutes and oboes, meant to represent the songs of birds, introduce the principal elements; and while the rest of the orchestration of the work is fairly large (using three trombones and cymbals, among other instrumentation), the main parts of the work have a fair amount in common with the Third Symphony of Dvorak’s close friend and contemporary Johannes Brahms, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, in the depiction of the natural world. “In Nature’s Realm” was premiered in April 1882 with the composer conducting the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague; and both it and its companion pieces were also heard during the first few weeks in concerts held in New York City in early 1883, also under Dvorak’s direction.
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/JUN MARKL (Telarc)
Included:
CELLO CONCERTO IN B MINOR, OP. 104 (Cello: ZUILL BAILEY)
THE WATER GOBLIN, OP. 107