PROGRAM NOTES . . . continued

The most important result of his work at the Czech Theatre, however, was the contact it brought him with the ideas and works of Bedrich Smetana. The growing spirit of in the Czech nation, subordinated as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had stimulated the genius o f Smetana to bend all his efforts toward the creation of a national Czech . He drew the inspiration for his melodies from Czech ; his were based on the legends and history of the Czech people; and his program music expressed the feeling of the patriot for his country. Dvorak was im­ mediately attracted to Smetana’s ideas and musical style. His and his sense of oneness with the Czech people were genuine and deep; his interest in musical nationalism thus increased, rather than diminished, his individuality. Dvorak’s works first began to attract the attention of the public in Prague in the early 1870’s, but his fame outside of his native country dates from the year 1877 and was due to the generous interest of Johennes Brahms. In order to help his precarious financial condition, Dvorak had applied to the Austrian government in Vienna for an annual stipend. Brahms, eight years older than Dvorak and already world-famous, was on the committee that judged the works submitted. His help went far beyond the award of the funds Dvorak sought; he persauded his publisher Simrock to accept some of

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