This concert highlights the musical voices of Czech and Slavic people as part of a broader exploration of the contributions of composers and their music to nationalism and identity. Libuše by Bedřich Smetana, depicts the origins of Prague and was premiered at the National Theatre.
Antonin Dvorak, the second prominent Czech to achieve worldwide recognition, wrote his hauntingly beautiful Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 2, and his joyful and optimistic 8th symphony, basing them on Czech, Moravian, and other Slavic music. Additionally, Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 19 in B minor and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Danse nègre” from African Suite chronicle these composers’ respective contributions to Hungarian and African music.
Conducted by Brian Dowdy
Works Performed
- Smetana, Overture to Libuše
- Dvorak, Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 2 in e minor
- Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 19 in b minor
- Coleridge-Taylor, “Danse nègre” from African Suite
- Dvorak, Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
Dates Performed
- March 11, 2018
- March 10, 2018