The 'New World' Symphony: Antonin Dvorak's Ninth Masterpiece - Essay Sample

Introduction

In his first year tenure in the United States, Antonin Dvorak wrote a symphony that became popular across the world. The New World Symphony was Dvorak's ninth and the last composition. From a musical standpoint, nine is always considered as a magical number, and most composers often complete their symphonies with it (Tebyani, 2017). The musical piece is woven in the form and content that is flawless, and its four-movement framework is punctuated with great architectural proficiency. Further, the symphony's thematic composition, lyricism, rhythms, purity of expression, and convergence of these qualities have made Dvorak's exceptional and compelling. Also, the homogenous expression in the symphony is achieved through the regular reminiscence of different themes that emanates from previous movements (Pentameron, 2019). More often than not, Dvorak has used this technique in various compositions, but he displayed great deliberation and consistency in the New World Symphony.

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Antonin Dvorak was a Bohemian composer who achieved international recognition, especially in his contribution to turning folks into romantic music. In his early life, Dvorak learned about music, and he morphed into an accomplished violinist while still a young age. Despite being expected to become a butcher, Dvorak had unrivaled talent in music that was widely recognized. Also, Dvorak, while in his visit to his uncle and aunt in Zlonice, he embarked on the study of piano, harmony, and organ (Tebyani, 2017). Also, Dvorak's music teacher, after learning the immense music talent in him, persuaded his father to enroll him at the Institute for Church Music located in Prague. During his education in the city, Dvorak got a membership in Cecilian Association Orchestra, where he received great experience as an orchestral viola player. More imperatively, Dvorak's participation in the Provisional Theatre Orchestra earned him great inspiration as he was allowed to perform different operatic works (Pentameron, 2019). Moreover, acquisition of state scholarship enhanced Dvorak's focus on his composition, and his contact with renowned German publisher helped in establishing valuable connections across borders.

Understandably, Dvorak's symphony illuminated the inherent connection between the tunes and the larger community of folk melodies. He created tunes that resonated with different folk traditions, especially those which use the pentatonic scale, that is, a five-note scale that hardly contains a fourth and seventh note of a conventional European major scale (Sikand-Youngs, 2017). Further, the extraordinary nature of the New World Symphony is hinged on a seamless combination of tunes from slow movement, the scherzo movement, and the finale (Pentameron, 2019). More importantly, the symphony is woven by different principles that Dvorak borrowed from renowned composers such as Brahms, Beethoven, and Schumann. The music melodies in the first movement are characterized by occasional returns in every successive movement that is incidentally punctuated with nostalgia and reminiscence. Also, the slow movement is premised on surrealism and sublime brass chords that morph into dramatic context as it nears the end of the finale (Tebyani, 2017). Equally important, the musical piece is anchored on syncopated rhythms that involve a shift of accent that initially appears as a weak beat but stressed. Additionally, Dvorak's work is largely characterized by dotted rhythms and Aeolian minor modes consisting of minor seventh.

Undeniably, Dvorak immersion into the "new world" was evident by his choice of the thematic material and the underlying atmosphere of the work. The symphony depicted significant adherence to the classical schemes drawn from the established European music's traditions (Pentameron, 2019). Notably, the first movement is composed in sonata form, where the introduction is begun with a slow tempo. The introduction not only creates anticipation of the thematic material but also establishes an idea anchored on Dvorak's American period. Moreover, the dramatic announcing phrase heavily characterizes the symphony as it progresses before appearing in all the subsequent movements. Also, the assertion of the "American-Czech" character of Dvorak's symphony is depicted in the second subject of the first movement (Tebyani, 2017). It comprises of narrow melodic range, monotone, and lowered seventh, which undoubtedly provides it with an "Indian" touch. In the subsequent theme development, there is a complete transformation of the symphony's character where the broader melodic range, parallel thirds, and different outlook of major temperament sets in to provide a Czech polka sound. Additionally, the beginning of the closing theme creates a different lyrical character despite the evident rhythmical equivalence to the main theme.

In the second movement, the symphony begins with a harmonic succession of chords embedded in wind instruments. Dvorak altered the instrumentation to align the theme with the quality of Harry Burleigh's voice, who presented him with the opportunity to listen to Negro spirituals (Tebyani, 2017). The nostalgic mood that is created by the theme provides an image of the desolated American prairies. The dynamic climax in the symphony helped in the incorporation of different thematic ideas and, more importantly, created a soft return of the main theme (Sikand-Youngs, 2017). Furthermore, the third movement takes the A-B-A format, where part A's stirring rhythms are occasionally interrupted exclusively in the middle section. More significantly, part B, which is considered as the actual trio, is removed from the wild rhythm in the previous part. Part A's repetition is followed by a coda, which, in effect, disregards the overall tone of the movement and creates a conceptual transition to the finale (Pentameron, 2019). Notably, in the fourth movement, the key features are written in sonata form, and its plan illuminates exposition, recapitulation, and better still development of the theme. The main theme of the movement is characterized by eloquence and productivity that is achieved through the use of brass instrumentation. Also, the striking impact of the movement is fostered by the triplet variant.

The New World Symphony became one of the most popular and beloved orchestral works because it creates a melody that resonates with different traditions, thereby reinforcing unity across the world (Sikand-Youngs, 2017). The production of different themes provided the much-needed reboot to American classical music. The lyrical characters in the symphony created a reminder that the future of American music is hinged on Negro melodies, and this undoubtedly resulted in the establishment of various schools of composition across the United States (Tebyani, 2017). The musical piece is woven with a great symphonic canvas that is hinged on the American roots, thus making it more appealing to the people. More fundamentally, in his second movement, popularly known as the "Largo," Dvorak drew inspiration from black spirituals, which created a bittersweet melody, and this caused many people to identify with the music (Pentameron, 2019). Further, Dvorak's orchestral work is appealing as it creates a better understanding of the African-American spiritual tradition. Also, the second movement was critical in the development of the American anthem, and it influenced other classical orchestra composers.

It is worth noting that Dvorak's work is widely liked because of the creation of tunes that were in consonance with most people's traditions. Also, the integration of thematic cycles in the four movements has proved to be instrumental in enhancing the dramatic spectrum of the symphony. The New World Symphony proved to be beneficial to the American composers in developing distinctive orchestral style (Tebyani, 2017). The pensive soliloquy in the introduction is vital in encouraging reflections and the creation of transition between differently themed in the first and second movements. Additionally, Dvorak's symphony plays an instrumental role in demonstrating the inherent closeness between the Largo and the finale (Pentameron, 2019). More importantly, the syncopated rhythms create classical themes that are evident in European music traditions. Moreover, many people have identified with Dvorak's work because it develops a distinction between its introduction and responsive phrases.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dvorak's New World Symphony significantly shaped the African-American classical themes that formed the key fabric of the modern musical atmosphere. More often than not, the symphony has created the philosophy of unity and inclusion that is deeply rooted in contemporary music. Further, the exceptional nature of Dvorak's orchestral work illuminated underlying principles and themes that have been instrumental in the development of homogenous expression. More fundamentally, the rhythmical structure of the symphony has encouraged different embedment melodies that have punctuated all the four movements. It should be noted that the exposure of the thematic substance in the fourth movement enhanced the eloquence in the symphony. Moreover, Dvorak cultivated great imagination in his work where different thematic substances were incorporated into resulting compositional techniques. Additionally, the key ideas in the symphony are demonstrated in the introduction chords, especially in the second movement. Undoubtedly, the New World Symphony was punctuated with great success, where it reinforced vocal and instrumental arrangements in the music world.

References

Pentameron. (2019, March 22). Dvorak - Symphony No.9 in E minor, Op.95; B 178, 'From the New World'. YouTube. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLWpgWuUaU4" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLWpgWuUaU4

Sikand-Youngs, N. (2017). "Another spirit, other thoughts, another colouring": Performances of Race in Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 from the New World. HJEAS: Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, 23(2), 317-454.

https://search.proquest.com/openview/f43e0b81ee798166868501d59ee3b966/1?pqTebyani, M. (2017). Antonin Dvorak Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 (New World Symphony) (Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Northridge).

http://scholarworks.csun.edu/handle/10211.3/196620