The Orchestra Sings - Eugene Symphony

The Orchestra Sings
Largo from the New World Symphony
“Thousands upon thousands of people, and
an everchanging sight! And you should hear
all the kinds of music! … Well, America seems
to have demonstrated all it is and all it is
capable of! I haven‟t got enough words to
describe it all.”
When the New York Philharmonic hired
Dvořák to write a symphony, he was
inspired to blend traditional American
sounds into his work, including the music of
Native and African Americans, with
Bohemian folk music.
Largo is a movement within the Symphony,
based on a spiritual-like song called “Goin’
Home”.
What is a spiritual?
Spirituals are religious folk songs created
and first sung by African American slaves
to pass the time and relay secretive
information to other slaves.
Antonín Dvořák
1841-1904
In-class Discussions
• Where is Bohemia on the
map? Explore its culture &
history.
• What is an organ and what
does it sound like? In what kind
of venue is it most commonly
used?
• What does Native American
and Bohemian folk music
sound like? What kind of
instruments were used during
Dvořák’s time in each culture?
• What was happening in visual
arts, dance, and theater
during Dvořák’s life?