Symphony No. 9 Op. 95, "From the New World"

When Dvorák arrived in the United States in 1892, in order to be head of the national conservatoire, he fell in love with his new home - America. The gigantic, optimistic melting pot the Americans had created, their energies and love for life - all take part in his Symphony no. 9, which is all a big ode to America. He looked for American motifs among the black and native Americans, rather than among descendants of white Europeans. And so he incorporated in his symphony tunes inspired by the spirituals - black people's devotional songs. Note that all melodies are in the spirit of American tunes, but Dvorák is the one who actually wrote them. Hence they sound no less Slavonic than American, and to a great extent this is the real America - a combination of national influences brought on by colonists and immigrants, adding to those of native Americans.

Dvorák's 9th Symphony became one of the most successful works in the world, and it is often performed in concert halls. The second movement is especially identified by all - the famous largo by Dvorák that became very popular among classical music lovers. Many jazz musicians also play it, as a magnificent, quiet jazz performance. This chapter's being written in a pentatonic scale, customary in Afro-American folk music gives it an American flavor, and on the other hand, its gloomy melody does not depend on either time or place - it belongs to everybody, and everybody loves it.