THE BOHEMIAN QUARTETT.
OSKAR NEDBAL.
Viola.
KAREL HOFFMANN.
1st Violin.
HANUS WIHAN.
’Cello.
JOSEF SUK.
2nd Violin.
Dvořák
Revival of Bohemian Music
Two names, Smetana (1824-84) and Dvořák, are intimately associated with the revival of music which began in Bohemia about the year 1860. The political condition of the country had, since about 1620, been one of national degradation. Conquered by the Emperor Ferdinand of Austria, the people were down-trodden and oppressed, their language prohibited, and as a result the arts practically dead. In the year 1860, however, an imperial decree appeared which granted a measure of liberty to the people. This was speedily followed by a better state of public affairs, in which, of course, music participated. Smetana, who had held the appointment of conductor to the Philharmonic Society at Gothenburg, resigned that post, and returned to Prague to assume what was practically the direction of the newly-liberated national musical forces. Here he found Dvořák, a young man with rapidly developing musical powers, whose career had hitherto been one of comparative poverty. He was of humble, although by no means ignoble birth, for if his father had not wealth and worldly position, he at least had health and a strong character, and in addition to this he was also somewhat of a musician, although of a rude and uncultured sort.
Birthplace and Early Career
It was in the Bohemian village Nelahozeves, which is situated on the river Moldau not far from Kralup, that Dvořák was born in the year 1841, and here he was reared, working at his father’s occupation, which was that of an innkeeper and butcher. At the age of eighteen, however, the musical impulses which had already made themselves evident in the youth became too strong for parental restraint, and he left home and went to Prague, where he obtained admission to the city organ school, and, that he might earn enough to keep body and soul together, he played violin and viola in the orchestras of both church and theatre. Under the tuition which he here obtained his powers rapidly developed, and during this time he seems to have composed a great deal. Happily he now learned of the Austrian state aid which was to be obtained by needy artists, and making application, a stipend was granted him, mainly, it seems, through the influence of Brahms, who happened to be one of the committee having charge of the fund. Thus relieved from the carking cares of poverty, Dvořák gave himself up to his life-work even more earnestly than before, with what an excellent result we now know.
That his early surroundings exerted an adverse influence on his artistic career there can, however, hardly be a doubt, and only the opulence of his natural powers could have triumphed over these and given him that large measure of success to which he has eventually attained.
Criticisms on his Works
We are all by this time familiar with the stages of criticism through which his works have passed—undue length and want of conciseness, fresh episodes instead of organic development, the continual use of national idioms, and the like. To these must be opposed the splendid qualities of melody, form, and colour which are found in his best works, such as The Stabat Mater, The Spectre’s Bride, the D minor Symphony, and the A major Piano Quintett, and no just assessment can refuse for Dvořák a most exalted place amongst contemporary musicians.