Dvořákova Praha 2024: A celebration of Antonín Dvořák’s legacy
The Dvořákova Praha festival brings world-class orchestras and soloists to Prague, showcasing not only Dvořák’s works but also compositions by other classical masters.
The festival opens with a performance of Dvořák’s "New World Symphony," one of his most famous works. Its majestic and unforgettable sound captivated the audience during its premiere at New York's Carnegie Hall, where Dvořák received such thunderous applause that he had to bow from his box, "like a king," as he described it in a letter to a friend.
Dvořák's statements about the inspiration behind the symphony, particularly his use of Native American and African-American themes, also attracted attention. However, he clarified that these influences were not direct:
"It is only the spirit of African-American and Native American melodies that I have tried to reproduce in my new symphony. I did not use a single one of those melodies. I simply wrote my own themes, which I developed using all the modern means of rhythm, harmonization, counterpoint, and orchestral color," he explained in a letter written three years before his return to Prague.
The Bamberg Symphony will perform Dvořák's "New World Symphony" again in the very hall that bears his name, the Rudolfinum in Prague. This performance also carries a deeper significance, reflecting Czech-German reconciliation after World War II.
Jan Simon, director of the Dvořákova Praha Festival, highlights this connection: "The orchestra of the New German Theatre in Prague was forced to leave for Germany after World War II, where they founded the Tonkünstler Bamberg in Bamberg. It will perform three times in total. They will open the festival with a concert conducted by their chief conductor Jakub Hrůša, featuring Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and the 'New World Symphony.' The soloist for the evening will be German cellist Julian Steckel, winner of the ARD competition in Munich.”
In addition to Dvořák's works, the festival will showcase performances of compositions by other renowned composers such as Leoš Janáček and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, presented by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra. The festival runs until September 24th, concluding with a performance by the Czech Student Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum.
