The Contribution Of Antonin Dvo � Ak ( 1841-1904 )

Antonà ­n Dvořà ¡k (1841–1904) was one of the most versatile and prolific composers of the nineteenth century, reaching into almost all genres of music from piano miniatures to comprehensively conceived vocal-orchestra compositions. His output encompasses nine symphonies and fifty-five other orchestral pieces, eleven opera, eleven works for chorus and orchestra, nine small choral works, thirty-five sets of songs and duets, fifty-five chamber works for various combinations of instruments, and thirty-two sets of short pieces for piano. In each of these areas he created works that can be considered masterpieces in their genre. Dvořà ¡k was arguably the foremost representative of Czech culture in an international context. His music captured the†¦show more content†¦He was the oldest of eight children. His father, a music lover, played violin and zither to entertain his guests, and also played in the village band. Dvořà ¡k’s musical journey started when he was six years old. In 1847 he received his first musical education on entering the village school, where he learned singing and violin from the teacher and Kantor Joseph Spitz. His musical talent was evident when he was still a child. During his childhood, he had the opportunity to play in church and with the village band, which performed the usual repertory such as polkas, mazurkas, marches, and waltzes. His parents saw his talent in music, and they sent him to live with his uncle at the nearby small town of Zlonice in 1853 when he was twelve years old, where he could continue to learn German, essential in Bohemia at that time. There, he could also continue to learn music. As a consequence, his musical education continued to grow under the guidance of the church choirmaster Joseph Toman and by the Kantor Antonà ­n Liehmann, who was the principal of his school. Antonà ­n Liehmann taught him violin, piano, organ, figured bass, and music theory. Three years later, in 1856, Dvořà ¡k continued the study of organ and music theory with Franz Hanke while he attended the German municipal school in the