History Notes

In 1892, Antonin Dvorak came to America to direct the new National Conservatory of Music in New York City.  For three years he would lead this progressive school and its diverse student body in a quest to find the authentic American sound.  Could they convince America that the source of their national music was right … Continue reading Antonin Dvorak and the New World →

Ludwig von Beethoven hated despotism and desperately wanted an enlightened leader who would liberate Europe from its kings and princes.  He thought he saw such a hero in a young General Napoleon Bonaparte.  But what did Bonaparte do to deserve a symphony written in his honor?  And what did he do to cause Beethoven to strike … Continue reading Eroica: Beethoven and Bonaparte →

Dmitri Shostakovich grew up Leningrad, in Stalin’s Soviet Union.  As a composer, his work was censored and he and his family were punished when his music fell into disfavor under the Stalin regime.  During Stalin’s Great Terror, when Stalin consolidated his hold on power, many of Shostakovich’s friends and family were arrested and sent to … Continue reading Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad →

Aaron Copland composed Fanfare for the Common Man in 1942 during World War II.  He wanted to honor the common man “who was doing all the dirty work in the war and the Army.”  But Copland’s title was more than a simple celebration of the everyday American.  Fanfare for the Common Man carried a polarizing … Continue reading Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man →