American Dreams: Dvorák's Ninth and Bernstein's Candide

Programme

Leonard Bernstein Overture Candide
Antonín Dvořák Ninth symphony 'From the New World'

For his Ninth, Dvorák drew inspiration from the nature and people of America. It is still one of the most beloved symphonies. More than sixty years later, Bernstein looked precisely to Europe for his opera Candide, based on Voltaire's satire of the same name.

Dvorák's Symphony No. 9

Czech Antonín Dvorák was the world's most famous composer when he was asked to become director of America's first conservatory, in New York, in 1892. Dvorák stayed there for three years, a period during which he also traveled around to learn about the musical culture of Native Americans and African-Americans. He expressed the impressions of their cultures and the grand, wide-open landscape in his Ninth Symphony, "From the New World. In this superhit, Dvorák proves his talent for catchy melodies that stay in your head but never get boring.

Bernstein's Candide

Pianist, composer and conductor Bernstein breathed music and had a great talent for bringing different genres together: he was one of the first to embrace not only jazz but also pop influences. His Broadway repertoire is sprightly, brimming with humor and of extraordinary beauty; his works for the concert hall mirror that repertoire. Candide, based on Voltaire's satire of the same name, is a comic, satirical operetta that features such classics as "I Am Easily Assimilated. This morning the delightful, spectacular overture will be heard.