Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op 95, 'From the New World'

Available for over a year

Dvořák’s New World Symphony searches the wide American landscape with curiosity and wonder. Although Dvořák was very homesick and unhappy while he was in America this could be considered his most popular work. Dvořák may have sought to capture the soul of the ‘new world’ in his 9th symphony - certainly he absorbed the influence of folk music traditions, particularly African-American spirituals when living in New York. However the sense of bittersweet nostalgia for his own homeland is palpable and it is this universality that has engendered enduring appeal. It’s said that even Neil Armstrong took a recording of Symphony No. 9 all the way to the Moon with him! Composer: Antonín Dvořák Performers: BBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek Recording date: 12 May 2010 Date of broadcast: 31 May 2010