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