Written in 1891, the year before Dvorak began his sojourn in America, Carnival was second of a three-overture set and was originally titled “Life.” It was played at Carnegie Hall at Dvorak’s introductory concert in America. The peasant nature of Karelia was deliberate – Sibelius’ intention was to capture the quality of naive, folk-based authenticity. The nationalistic character of the music is evident in each of the four movements extracted which form the Suite.
Shostakovich remarked about his Symphony No.9 that “musicians will like to play it, and critics will delight in blasting it.” The initial reaction of his peers to the new symphony was generally favorable. Stalin did not like it. Soviet critics censured the symphony for its “ideological weakness” and its failure to “reflect the true spirit of the people of the Soviet Union.” You will have an opportunity to judge for yourselves.
What better description of Les Preludes than that of the composer himself: “What is life but a series of preludes to that unknown song whose initial solemn note is tolled by Death?” Though few still remember Flash Gordon and The Lone Ranger radio programs, this most popular work of Liszt remains a favorite in the concert hall.
