The 45-minute Symphony, written in four movements, was written in 1893, a year after Dvorak migrated to the United States to head the National Conservatory. It was a new symphony for a New World, filled with the vigour and energy of the composer’s new home.

Dvorak, a family man who loved travelling and meeting people, loved the optimism and melting-pot culture of America. He believed the way forward for American culture was not to follow the Europeans, but to draw from native American ideas. So he said he’d put ‘Negro themes’ (as they called them then) in his symphony. In fact, the themes are much more Slavonic than anything else, despite one of Dvorak’s greatest inspirations for the piece having come from a recording of a Spiritual by an American Black singer, Harry Burley.

However American the symphony may be, Dvorak’s enthusiasm for native music turned out to be right - he had anticipated ‘world music’ by nearly a century! His symphony was an instant hit and is reputed to be the most-played classical piece in the world.

Most popular is still the nostalgic second movement, which has been played by practically everyone from Berlin Phil to jazz piano wizard Art Tatum (who called it ‘Goin’ Home’ - Dvorak did indeed return to Prague in 1895), who was the one who truly popularised it. Since then the work has also appeared in a number of pop singles such as The Nice: America; Tony Capstick: Capstick comes home; and New Generation: Smokey blues away; as well as the movie Clear and Present Danger.

The second movement which the work is popular for is also firmly associated in the UK with Hovis brown bread. Dvorak, the son of a grocer and innkeeper, would have been most amused.

Recommended recording:
Dvorak - Symphony No. 9: One of the best readings of Dvorák's Ninth Symphony, by Istvan Kertész and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Hear the nostalgic second movement.