I just read the article about Dvorak (sp), and I had to share this. I’ll try to make it brief! About 40 years ago I went to Ravinia Music Festival for the experience, it was near where I lived and what was playing was not important to me. After I bought my lawn seat, I wandered around seeking a likely spot. I saw a wall with flapping papers and asked someone passing what it was; « the program is changed and that is the info. I had no idea what it had been and no interest in what it had become. I am SO glad that I never checked! I found a likely spot and used my backpack for a pillow. The music started and images filled my mind. I saw an ocean voyage, storms raging over the boat. Sailors high in the crows nest or manipulating the great sails. I saw peaceful times and the ship coming to rest in an undeveloped coast. I saw climbing mountains, shooting rapids, exploration of empty land (so to speak) during the intermission I crawled over to the nearest blanket of people and asked, « WHAT is THIS? » it was the New World Symphony and if I’d known before, I would have thought it was just knowledge making the images in my brain. But the music lit up my imagination and suddenly I could see profit in music without words. For the first time of very rare times. The music really spoke to me. This article has ignited a greater interest in him personally and his other works.
Even the jazz bassist Ron Carter paid respect to Dvorak in his own rendition of “Going Home”. Love the connection with nature in his music!