THE STORY OF ANTONIN DVORAK

There once was a family consisting of a father named Frantisek Dvorak and a mother

named Anna Dvorak. They lived together in the Bohemian village of Nelahozeves near

Prague where they raised 8 children together. The first child in the family was born on

September 8th, 1841, a child who spent most of his life in Nelahozeves… This child was

a boy named Antonin Leopold who was born during the Victorian Era which was from

1837-1901. This era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, and is often known as a

peaceful time, although the British were in the war for almost every year of this era…

Frantisek Dvorak, Antonin’s father, worked as a butcher and innkeeper and he played

the zither for fun and entertainment. Antonin’s father, Frantisek, was expecting his son

to carry on the business, therefore meaning become a butcher and innkeeper just like

him. But, instead Dvorak showed so much talent in music that his father decided to

make him take voice and violin lessons from a man named Joseph Spitz in 1847, when

he was only 6 years old. Dvorak played in church and village bands. Thanks to the

lessons, he eventually played the violin in church and village bands. Due to Dvorak’s

amazing talent in music, his parents, Frantisek and Anna, decided to send their son in

1857 to Zlonice to continue his education in learning German as well as music. Once

there, Joseph Toman and Antonin Leihmann continued to teach Dvorak violin, voice,

organ, piano, and music theory.

In 1857, when Dvorak was a teenager, he moved to the Prague Organ School. He

played the viola in the Cecilia Society and played works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn,

Schumann, and Wagner. While in Prague, Dvorak was also able to attend concerts

playing works by Liszt conducted by Liszt himself. Dvorak eventually left the school in

1859. In the same year, Dvorak was hired to play viola in a small band, which later
became the building blocks of the Provisional Theater Orchestra. It wasn’t until 1871

when Dvorak left the theater, but during those years, Dvorak was privately composing…

Between 1859 and 1871, 1865 to be exact, Dvorak taught piano to the daughters of a

goldsmith, Josefina and Anna Cermakova. Dvorak initially fell in love with Josefina. But

Dvorak ended up marrying Josefina’s younger sister, Anna, where they both ended up

having 6 children.

When Antonin Dvorak was around 30 years old, a well known famous composer named

Johannes Brahms was quite attracted to Dvorak’s music. He was so attracted that

Brahms really helped Dvorak become popular and famous. Not only that, but Brahms

also opened up some doors for him and introduced him to some great opportunities and

experiences. Thanks to Brahms, Dvorak became popular very quickly, and they also

became close friends at the same time. One of his most famous compositions was New

World Symphony, a.k.a. Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” II which was written

during his visit to the United States between 1892 and 1895. Thanks to Brahms, Dvorak

earned many honors, awards, and honorary doctorates.

During the last 20 years of Dvorak’s life, his music and name became internationally

known, and today, his music is still known. Dvorak’s career in America served as an

impetus in the development of an American style of music that influenced future

generations. His challenge to American musicians, as well as his American inspired

pieces, served as a model for many composers.

Eventually, his career would finally be cut short when he passed away. On May 1,

1904, at the age of 63, Dvorak died of an illness. Rest in peace, Antonin Dvorak, 1841-

1904…