Goin’ Home | Antonín Dvořák and American Spiritual (Prague Philharmonic Choir)

What do Dvořák and American spirituals have in common? More than you might expect! We follow in the footsteps of Antonín Dvořák on his journey to New York and discover – as Dvořák once did – a passion for these emotionally charged religious songs, full of catchy rhythms. An entertaining and educational music programme for primary school pupils, secondary school students and their (grand)parents.

Most people who know the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák consider him to be important primarily because he represented his nation and wrote music that is imbued with features of Czech folk music. In fact, his scope was international and during his stay in the United States from 1892 to 1895 he was deeply impressed by old African-American spirituals, in which ‘he was delighted to find something that […] was unorthodox and, moreover, original’. Dvořák, of course, faced harsh criticism of this view in his time -particularly from among the white supremacists of the day- but his prophecy later proved accurate, as the most famous and characteristic style of American music -jazz-emerged from African-American roots. Meanwhile, Dvořák himself drew inspiration from spirituals in his own works composed on American soil. He did not quote them directly, but was inspired by their style, including during the composition of his symphony From the New World. The famous theme from its second movement is one of the most famous melodies in the world classical repertoire. To Dvořák’s music from Largo, one of his pupils later added words derived specifically from African-American spirituals. The result was Goin’ Home – an American spiritual with undeniably Czech origins.

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