Antonín Dvořák composed songs almost throughout his life, but they are overshadowed by his large-scale symphonic works and chamber music. Together, we will be asking why Dvořák’s songs still make such a strong, direct effect.
Subscription series KK | Education programs | Duration of the programme 1 hour 30 minutes | From 12 years
Joint discussion (in Czech)
Antonín Dvořák
Gypsy Songs, Op.55
My Song of Love Rings Through the Dusk
— Intermission —
Antonín Dvořák
In Folk Tone, Op.73, B146
Antonín Dvořák
Humoresque Op. 101, No. 6
Antonín Dvořák
Humoresque Op. 101, No. 7
Antonín Dvořák
Songs to the words of Gustav Pflegr-Moravský
Markéta Cukrová mezzo-soprano
Miroslav Sekera piano
Veronika Lucassen guide
The program is based on a musical part but also on a spoken word that will be given in Czech language only. The program will not be supplied with English subtitles.
Perhaps unjustly, Antonín Dvořák’s songs are overshadowed by his large-scale works and chamber music. He composed songs nearly all his life and they form a remarkably large collection within his life work. In them he likewise applied his extraordinary ability to capture the subtle tremors of the human soul – passion, pain, emptiness, despair, dreaming, bliss, love... To this day, Dvořák's songs are admired for their beautiful melodic lines and their depth of emotional power. Just like in the Four Songs on Poems by Gustav Pfleger Moravský which include revised songs from his very first song cycle Cypresses. Some years later, Dvořák wrote: "Think a boy in love – that is their content." We will also explore the cycles In Folk Tune and Love Songs and will not forget the more popular Gypsy Songs either. Together, we will try to answer why Dvořák’s songs still have such a strong, direct effect.
