IDAGIO | Dvořák: 10 Biblical Songs, Op. 99 - Klička: Organ Sonata in F-Sharp Minor 4037408060448

Featuring

Klaus Mertens
Susanne Rohn
Antonín Dvořák
Josef Klička

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Instruments

The Sauer organ at Erlöserkirche Bad Homburg, built in 1908 by Wilhelm Sauer, is an instrument that would have been precisely to Josef Klička's taste, as Sauer also built the organ at Prague's Rudolfinum that influenced Klička's music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For his 'Biblical Songs', Dvořák chose the Protestant 'Kralitzer Bibel' from the late 16th century, a text considered a foundational document of the Czech language, similar to Luther's Bible for German.

Composer Biography

Josef Klička, a Bohemian composer and organist, became a teacher at the Prague Organ School in 1885, the same institution where he had received his own musical training.

Historical Context

Dvořák's parents supported his musical talent and had him learn German, which was useful for career advancement in the Bohemian crownland of the Austrian Emperor.

Composer Biography

Antonín Dvořák, known for 'Rusalka' and 'Symphony From the New World', was originally an organist, having graduated from the Prague Organ School in 1859.

Compositional Technique

In Dvořák's 'Biblical Songs', the voice and accompanying instrument often act as 'antipodes', with the instrument responding to or emphasizing the voice rather than continuously supporting it.

Composition History

Dvořák composed his 'Biblical Songs' in New York in March 1894, during a period of financial difficulty for his patron Jeanette Thurber and concern for his ill father.