December 16th, 1893, was the official world premiere of the Antonín Dvořák Symphony #9, subtitled the "New World Symphony", at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
The Largo from the second movement, is one of my all-time beautiful melodies with its haunting outpouring of
Dvorak's own home-longing, with something of the loneliness of far-off
prairie horizons, the faint memory of the red-man's bygone days, and a
sense of the tragedy of the black-man as it sings in his "spirituals."
Deeper still it is a moving expression of that nostalgia of the soul all
human beings feel.
It's often thought the theme was taken from an American folk song but it is actually the reverse; the Largo was adapted into the spiritual-like song Goin' Home by Dvořák's pupil William Arms Fisher, who wrote the lyrics in 1922.
Goin' Home was sung by Jan Clayton (Lassie's mom) in the 1948 film, Snake Pit, which was directed by Anatole Litvak. It starred Olivia de Havilland as a woman who finds herself in an insane asylum and cannot remember how she got there. For its time it was a pretty horrific tale; some of the scenes are frightening. The scene when Goin' Home is sung is one of the most poignant in the chronicles of film history. The shots of the inmates who join in the singing are heart-rending as you realize most of them will never go home (link below). I was in my twenties when I saw the film and it wrenched the long forgotten memory out of the dark recess of my mind of a visit with my father in an asylum when I was a child.
Goin' Home was sung by Jan Clayton (Lassie's mom) in the 1948 film, Snake Pit, which was directed by Anatole Litvak. It starred Olivia de Havilland as a woman who finds herself in an insane asylum and cannot remember how she got there. For its time it was a pretty horrific tale; some of the scenes are frightening. The scene when Goin' Home is sung is one of the most poignant in the chronicles of film history. The shots of the inmates who join in the singing are heart-rending as you realize most of them will never go home (link below). I was in my twenties when I saw the film and it wrenched the long forgotten memory out of the dark recess of my mind of a visit with my father in an asylum when I was a child.
Snake Pit movie poster
Goin' Home has been covered by many artists, some of the best are the American bass baritone concert artist, Paul Robeson, the boys chorus, Libra, Jane Froman and the most beautiful version I've ever heard is by the Norwegian soprano, Sissel Kyrkjebø (links below).
Goin' Home lyrics
(Dvořák / Fisher)
Going home, going home
I'm jus' going home
Quiet like, some still day
I'm jus' going home
It's not far, yes close by
Through an open door
Work all done, care laid by
Going to fear no more
Mother's there 'specting me
Father's waiting, too
Lots of folk gathered there
All the friends I knew
All the friends I knew
I'm going home
Nothing lost, all's gain
No more fret nor pain
No more stumbling on the way
No more longing for the day
Going to roam no more
(Dvořák / Fisher)
Going home, going home
I'm jus' going home
Quiet like, some still day
I'm jus' going home
It's not far, yes close by
Through an open door
Work all done, care laid by
Going to fear no more
Mother's there 'specting me
Father's waiting, too
Lots of folk gathered there
All the friends I knew
All the friends I knew
I'm going home
Nothing lost, all's gain
No more fret nor pain
No more stumbling on the way
No more longing for the day
Going to roam no more
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, Op. 95 ("From The New World")
Tracklist: |
||||
| A1 | Adagio - Allegro Molto | 9:04 | ||
| A2 | Largo | 12:32 | ||
| A3 | Scherzo (Molto vivace) | 7:56 | ||
| A4 | Allegro con fuoco | 9:40 |
Viewfinder links:
Antonin Dvořák website ~ symphony no. 9 "from the new world"
Gramophone ~ Dvořák's Symphony No 9 ~ quick guide to the best recordings YouTube links:
Antonin Dvorak ~
New World Symphony # 9 - (complete) (53 min., 9 sec.)
Sissel ~ Going Home
Libra ~ Going Home
Styrous® ~ Sunday, December 16, 2018
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