Anton�n Dvoř�k's New World Symphony

Before Anton�n Dvor�k's New World Symphony became one of the most universally beloved pieces of classical music, it exposed the deep wounds of racism at the dawn of the Jim Crow era while serving as a flashpoint in broader debates about the American ideals of freedom and equality. Drawing from
a diverse array of historical voices, author Douglas W. Shadle's richly textured account of the symphony's 1893 premiere shows that even the classical concert hall could not remain insulated from the country's racial politics.

"Anton�in Dvo�r�ak's New World Symphony exposed the deep wounds of American racism at the dawn of the Jim Crow era while serving as a flashpoint in broader debates about the national ideals of freedom and equality. Following several strands of musical thought during the second half of the nineteenth century, this richly textured account of the symphony's 1893 premiere shows that even the classical concert hall could not remain insulated from the country's fraught racial politics. Philanthropist and entrepreneur Jeannette Thurber (1850-1946) founded the National Conservatory of Music in 1885 to provide a world-class but low-cost professional music education to students from across the United States. Though it progressed with fits and starts, the conservatory eventually earned a congressional charter in 1891, giving it a unique stature compared to national rivals. A year later, Thurber hired Anton�in Dvo�r�ak, the famous Bohemian composer, to be its executive musical director-easily the highest-profile individual to hold the position"--

"A fascinating journey into the historical and racial context surrounding an extraordinary composer and musical work that not only provides a window into the intent behind the composition but also insight into its musical complexities and the resulting reflection of who we were... and who we are, as
a nation. I found it an informative and engaging read while conveying a sense of the power and impact that a single composer or a single work of music can have on our society." -- Aaron Dworkin, Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, University of
Michigan

"Can you talk about the New World Symphony without talking about race, cultural appropriation, and the challenges of defining 'American' classical music? Douglas Shadle's book, equally valuable for newcomers and for those who think they already know all about Dvorak's most popular work, views the
genesis and reception of the piece through a new, clear lens that brings into focus some of the challenging questions that it continues to raise and that remain, in this field, too little discussed." -- Anne Midgette, former classical music critic of The Washington Post