Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, in all of the Suzuki Method, we have only 1 piece written by Dvorak. Very often, when someone plays Humoresque, they really connect with the piece. That is very common with Dvorak’s music.

Here are his last 3 symphonies. They can be thought of as a trilogy. Now numbered 7, 8, 9, each is a masterpiece, and staples of the Romantic repertoire. I think what sets him apart as a composer, is that at any level, it is so easy to want to make his music sound good. It flows in a way, and connects to us, that is special.

That last is one of von Karajan’s finest moments. He was the first celebrity conductor. A great musician, but also cultivated a cult like following. People traveled all over the world to watch and hear him conduct, just like they do for pop stars today.

And just to throw it in here, the Dvorak cello concerto. One of the greats. His violin concerto isn’t nearly as good.