Classical

Antonín Dvořák: ” Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor Op. 72″ and “Largo”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cuOpM43FIDo

Antonin Leopold Dvořák was born in the village of Nelahozeves in Bohemian, which now is in the Czech Republic. Here is the beginning of the bio at ClassicalNet:

Contrary to legend, Antonín Dvořák (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904) was not born in poverty. His father was an innkeeper and butcher, as well as an amateur musician. The father not only put no obstacles in the way of his son’s pursuit of a musical career, he and his wife positively encouraged the boy. He learned the violin and finally was sent to the Prague Organ School, from which he emerged at age 18 as a trained organist and immediately plunged into the life of a working musician. He played in various dance bands, usually as a violist. One of his groups became the core of the Provisional Theater orchestra, the first Czech-language theater in Prague, and Dvořák was appointed principal violist. Around this time, he also began giving private piano lessons, eventually marrying one of his students. (Continue Reading…)

Above is the Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor Op. 72 performed by an all star lineup: Violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are conducted by Seiji Ozawa. The only information on the Largo video that I can understand is that it is being played by the New York Philharmonic.

[Editor’s note: I cross-post The Daily Music Break at Daily Kos. A commentor there was kind enough to provide more information. He wrote that this presentation of the Largo movement–from Dvorak’s New World Symphony–is from the New York Philharmonic’s visit to Pyongyang, North Korea, 26 February 2008. The conductor is Lorin Maazel.]

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