Dvořák, the composer of the Cello Concerto in B minor, initially stated that the cello was not much good as a solo instrument.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Martinů found his aesthetic ideal in France, where he lived from 1923 to 1940, and admired composers like Berlioz, Ravel, and Debussy over Wagner or Mahler.
Composition History
Dvořák's Cello Concerto was written during his American period but features fewer 'American colours' compared to his other works from that time.
Critical Reception
Johannes Brahms, a fellow composer, reportedly praised Dvořák's Cello Concerto, stating he would have written one long ago if he had known such a work was possible.
Composition History
Two events inspired Dvořák to compose his Cello Concerto: a visit to Niagara Falls and hearing Victor Herbert's Second Cello Concerto.
Composer Biography
Bohuslav Martinů, considered 'the fourth great figure in Czech music,' was largely self-taught and expelled from the Prague Conservatory for 'incorrigible negligence'.
Composition History
Dvořák composed a new, meditative ending for his Cello Concerto as a farewell to his beloved Josefina Čermáková, who passed away shortly after his return to Bohemia.
