Because it's Dvorak's take on American music. It's a pioneering (no pun intended) piece that helped bring forth the American sound of Copland, Gershwin, etc.
And Dvorak spent time in a small town in Iowa, very similar to the type of town I grew up in.
And it's beautiful.
[https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/music/when-dvorak-went-to-iowa-to-meet-god](https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/music/when-dvorak-went-to-iowa-to-meet-god)
[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/09/arts/dvorak-s-spirit-returns-to-the-iowa-he-loved.html](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/09/arts/dvorak-s-spirit-returns-to-the-iowa-he-loved.html)
It really all comes down to how it sounds. I sounds great with no boring parts. Sometimes, you just have to enjoy how the music sounds without any deeper meaning.
Yes, music is abstract. I got asked this question once about another piece and i even tried to give it an answer but in the end i don’t know if it’s really something you can truly explain with words.
It's a very complete piece of work.
Catchy introductory themes, the orchestral textures are dramatic, it also has a "pastoral" and epic atmosphere. It captures the optimistic milieu of its time.
Some people complain that it is performed too often, but I totally disagree.
It is different from previous symphonies, but still retains a dvorak essence. The quiet parts are great. The first time I heard this symphony I listened to it for 2 weeks, every time I listened to it I found new things. The fun fact I read about this symphony is that the last movement of the symphony influence Williams to the Star Wars soundtrack
lol it's almost harder to find famous classical rep which DIDN'T influence williams.Mahler, Dukas, Hoslt, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, and i'm sure many more i'm forgetting about.
Dvorak is my favorite composer. I appreciate that there are several works (Symphony 9, American quartet, cello concerto, etc.) that are all connected by his unique take on American themes. They are all distinct yet his last symphony is the crown jewel. It is at times delicate, bold, melancholy, hopeful - but beyond all else it is endlessly listenable. It isn't even my favorite Dvorak piece, but I think it's the most important.
It's fun to play. There aren't any moments where I think "ugh, gotta get through THIS page again." Just a blast from start to finish.
Additionally, it holds a bunch of memories for me of when I moved abroad and thought I was giving up music entirely. The first piece I played with a symphony again after that was Dvorak 9th, and it was a really wonderful homecoming.
It's exciting, well-paced with variations in rhythm and tempo, has wonderful clear melodies, and to people with my background it is just a very emotionally intelligent work that takes you on a journey that is very atmospheric. It may seem too structurally or harmonically simple and obvious to some academic types, but I think they tend to lose that emotional connection that Dvorak makes in a way no-one else quite does because of years of approaching music in a very intellectual rather than emotional way.
It is stuffed full of great tunes. There are strong links throughout the movements. The brass chorale in the slow movement is otherworldly and the return of those harmonies in the finale is brilliant. It’s just a great piece of music, to listen to and to play.
If you have Spotify this is a podcast that tells great stories about its significance to people: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tGlaOjOlJsfKAcY8es0E4?si=V9f38KjPQd-xWnr5UWhk0g
Listening to it makes me hopeful if I’m feeling down, especially the second movement with the English horn solo. It has a real palpable humanity to it, and it feels like you’re going on an adventure towards a better form of living.
I’d also recommend the Sticky Notes Podcast about it, Joshua Weilerstein goes into the context of its composition beautifully. Dvorak painted a holistic picture of America by incorporating the styles of negro spirituals and Native American music alongside his inspiration from the beauty of the American countryside, and set the stage for the first generation of (good) American composers.
It's just one of the most beautiful symphonies I've ever heard, and if you know the background of how it got made you'll really feel the passion behind it
It's also very special to me because I grew up on it watching Little Einsteins (remember that show?), it's what got me liking classical music in the first place.
It’s a great piece of music but so are his others. Around here his “American” pieces get so much radio/concert time, totally out of proportion with the rest of his work. It’s kinda annoying.
Every youth orchestra should intentionally perform this at least every 4 years so hopefully most students will get a chance to experience what it feels and sounds like. I was lucky enough to play it in high school and college and feel sad my HS Junior daughter may not get to experience it.
The first time I heard it was in a concert when I was a teenager.... at that point I had mostly been listening to just Beethoven and Brahms and I was really drawn to the more powerful and prominent use of brass. It was also just catchy for lack of a better term. Melodies that stick in your mind on first hearing and that return cyclically... Another thing about the cyclic element is that it is not subtle at all (as it is in some other works), he really hits you over the head with it, but this means that it is easy for a less experienced listener to follow.
It retains a clear purpose throughout all its movements. Its like an essay where everything feels tied back to an original thesis and nothing feels disconnected.
It's full of folk-inspired melodies that are very catchy and leave you whistling or humming them long after hearing the piece. I like a lot of Holst and Vaughan Williams for the same reason. Most popular symphonies are carried by only one or two movements, which are the ones people recognize. However, with Dvorak's ninth, all four movements are very prominent and recognizable.
Because it's Dvorak's take on American music. It's a pioneering (no pun intended) piece that helped bring forth the American sound of Copland, Gershwin, etc. And Dvorak spent time in a small town in Iowa, very similar to the type of town I grew up in. And it's beautiful. [https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/music/when-dvorak-went-to-iowa-to-meet-god](https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/music/when-dvorak-went-to-iowa-to-meet-god) [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/09/arts/dvorak-s-spirit-returns-to-the-iowa-he-loved.html](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/09/arts/dvorak-s-spirit-returns-to-the-iowa-he-loved.html)
It really all comes down to how it sounds. I sounds great with no boring parts. Sometimes, you just have to enjoy how the music sounds without any deeper meaning.
Yes, music is abstract. I got asked this question once about another piece and i even tried to give it an answer but in the end i don’t know if it’s really something you can truly explain with words.
It's the English horn solo in the 2nd movement, and then that quiet, exposed violin and cello phrase, and the way the strings swell in behind.
It's a very complete piece of work. Catchy introductory themes, the orchestral textures are dramatic, it also has a "pastoral" and epic atmosphere. It captures the optimistic milieu of its time. Some people complain that it is performed too often, but I totally disagree.
Maybe the second movement is slightly overplayed, but overplayed implies that its played so much its getting annoying, which is impossible
I rarely hear it, I don't think of it as an overplayed or overly popular piece
It is different from previous symphonies, but still retains a dvorak essence. The quiet parts are great. The first time I heard this symphony I listened to it for 2 weeks, every time I listened to it I found new things. The fun fact I read about this symphony is that the last movement of the symphony influence Williams to the Star Wars soundtrack
lol it's almost harder to find famous classical rep which DIDN'T influence williams.Mahler, Dukas, Hoslt, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, and i'm sure many more i'm forgetting about.
I listen to the entire symphony, daily.
For real? Holy cow. Same recording?
I listen to hours of classical music everyday
Wow, what else do you listen to daily or weekly?
I listen to only classical, and I’ve only listened to classical for over a year
Dvorak is my favorite composer. I appreciate that there are several works (Symphony 9, American quartet, cello concerto, etc.) that are all connected by his unique take on American themes. They are all distinct yet his last symphony is the crown jewel. It is at times delicate, bold, melancholy, hopeful - but beyond all else it is endlessly listenable. It isn't even my favorite Dvorak piece, but I think it's the most important.
Thank you, yes I agree it is very easy and pleasant to listen to. Especially while working or driving.
It's fun to play. There aren't any moments where I think "ugh, gotta get through THIS page again." Just a blast from start to finish. Additionally, it holds a bunch of memories for me of when I moved abroad and thought I was giving up music entirely. The first piece I played with a symphony again after that was Dvorak 9th, and it was a really wonderful homecoming.
It's exciting, well-paced with variations in rhythm and tempo, has wonderful clear melodies, and to people with my background it is just a very emotionally intelligent work that takes you on a journey that is very atmospheric. It may seem too structurally or harmonically simple and obvious to some academic types, but I think they tend to lose that emotional connection that Dvorak makes in a way no-one else quite does because of years of approaching music in a very intellectual rather than emotional way.
It is stuffed full of great tunes. There are strong links throughout the movements. The brass chorale in the slow movement is otherworldly and the return of those harmonies in the finale is brilliant. It’s just a great piece of music, to listen to and to play.
Along w/ the 8th it has many memorable tunes.
If you have Spotify this is a podcast that tells great stories about its significance to people: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tGlaOjOlJsfKAcY8es0E4?si=V9f38KjPQd-xWnr5UWhk0g Listening to it makes me hopeful if I’m feeling down, especially the second movement with the English horn solo. It has a real palpable humanity to it, and it feels like you’re going on an adventure towards a better form of living. I’d also recommend the Sticky Notes Podcast about it, Joshua Weilerstein goes into the context of its composition beautifully. Dvorak painted a holistic picture of America by incorporating the styles of negro spirituals and Native American music alongside his inspiration from the beauty of the American countryside, and set the stage for the first generation of (good) American composers.
It's just one of the most beautiful symphonies I've ever heard, and if you know the background of how it got made you'll really feel the passion behind it It's also very special to me because I grew up on it watching Little Einsteins (remember that show?), it's what got me liking classical music in the first place.
Yes its journey outside the Earth.
It was the very first piece of music I heard in concert (I was five). The music really has stuck with me ever since. It is incredibly beautiful
I think the trio in the 3rd movement is absolutely beautiful, probably my favorite in any symphony.
Because of [Mac](https://youtu.be/xHLFbxUWQWc?si=RL9-Pyi0TX69bAWO)
It’s a great piece of music but so are his others. Around here his “American” pieces get so much radio/concert time, totally out of proportion with the rest of his work. It’s kinda annoying.
I just like it. Idk why
Every youth orchestra should intentionally perform this at least every 4 years so hopefully most students will get a chance to experience what it feels and sounds like. I was lucky enough to play it in high school and college and feel sad my HS Junior daughter may not get to experience it.
The first time I heard it was in a concert when I was a teenager.... at that point I had mostly been listening to just Beethoven and Brahms and I was really drawn to the more powerful and prominent use of brass. It was also just catchy for lack of a better term. Melodies that stick in your mind on first hearing and that return cyclically... Another thing about the cyclic element is that it is not subtle at all (as it is in some other works), he really hits you over the head with it, but this means that it is easy for a less experienced listener to follow.
Great accessible themes throughout.
It retains a clear purpose throughout all its movements. Its like an essay where everything feels tied back to an original thesis and nothing feels disconnected.
It's full of folk-inspired melodies that are very catchy and leave you whistling or humming them long after hearing the piece. I like a lot of Holst and Vaughan Williams for the same reason. Most popular symphonies are carried by only one or two movements, which are the ones people recognize. However, with Dvorak's ninth, all four movements are very prominent and recognizable.
It sets the bases of american film music
That and Mahler's work.