Haunting Nostalgia For Home

Radio Record, 8 April 1938, Page 21

Haunting Nostalgia For Home

DVORAK EXPRESSED HIS SOUL'S PAIN IN MUSIC

MERICA, which at that time possessed few eminent musicians of her own, made Anton Dvorak, the Bohemian composer, a tempting offer in 1892 to become director of the New York National Conserva-

toire of Music. He signed a cantract for two years and sailed for New York. . Within a few weeks Dvorak was brought into contact with Negro folksong which deeply impressed him and --

influenced certain of his works cOmposed during those two years; notably "From the New World" Symphony, the "Nigger" Quartet, and the String Quartet in E flat. The "Violoncello Concerto in B Minor," started in November, 1894; and finished early in February, 1895,, contains little, if any, Negro colouring. But the music is impregnated, td a highly romantic degree, by the composer’s longing for his native land. This insistently yearning note is heard throughout the rather dramatic and fairly lengthy orchestral introduction, and occurs at intervals all through. As in the "New World" Symphony, a motto theme is the first tune of the first movement; it is heard on ‘the clarinets and bassoons, and crops up frequently in this and suecreeding moyements. The concerto was first played in London in March, 1896, and was then lost sight of for a time. There are few ’cello concertos available; but of a small repertory this is decidedly one of the best, and of recent years has again come into favour. Not Only are the possibilities of the solo instrument exploited with admirable effect, but the interest is equally distributed between the soloist and the orchestra, quite in the modern manner, This magnificent master-work will be played at 4YA by Gaspar Cassacio, ’cellist, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, on Thursday, April 14. Additional interest thereby attaches to a cello recital by Gaspar Cassado, which appears on 4YA’s programme for Sunday, April 10. This musician was born in Barcelona, in 1897, and is a brilliant pupil of his compatriot, Pau Casals.