1

Zach Loving

12/8/17

Music History II

Research Project Final Draft

Influencing Dvorak: Brahms and Wagner

Antonin Dvorak is one of the foremost and best known composers to come from the

Czech Republic. His music is still played across the world now and will most likely continue to

be performed in the foreseeable future. His training started at a young age and continued

throughout his career. In fact, it is possible to see a transition in his music from a wagnerian style

to a one that is more closely related to Brahms. This shift becomes clearer with an analysis of a

few key components. First, the context in which the three composers lived and was raised in.

Second, a comparison of an early Dvorak symphony and a Wagner symphony as well as a

review of any contact they had. Finally, a comparison of a late Dvorak symphony and a Brahms

symphony and the contact they had with one another. Upon completion of these steps it becomes

clear that Dvoraks compositional style shifted from one similar to Wagner to one that reflects

more of Brahms characteristics.

To fully understand the influence of Brahms and Wagner on Dvorak one must first

review the lives of each composer to both find situations in which they may have encountered

one another and to interpret whether or not the similarities in music arised from common

upbringing or contact with one another.

Dvoraks upbringing as a musician is very similar to many other composers of the time.

He was born in Nelahozeves on September eighth of 1841. His father was a butcher and
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innkeeper; however, he also played zither for his guests and later in his life as a professional. He

attended school in town and began his first musical training as a singer and violinist from Kantor

Joseph Spitz. Eventually he graduated from the Prague Organ School and joined Karel Komzaks

band. This band eventually formed the orchestra for the newly founded Provisional theatre.

While there Dvorak was exposed to many morks from italian opera to French grand opera.1

Smaczny wrote in her entry on Dvorak that Although Wagners musical style was a major

influence on a number of Dvoraks operas, Wagners operas were notably absent from the

repertory of the Provisional Theatre. This being said Smaczny says that Dvorak played the

overture to Tannhauser and preludes to Tristan and Isolde with Wagner as the conductor.2 Later

in his life Dvorak created a strong bond with Brahms which will be showcased through the

letters shared between them.

Brahms was born in 1833 in Hamburg, Germany. His father was a musician and was able

play many instruments. However, Brahms family was financially unstable due to his fathers

insensible spending. Even so both of his parents were devoted to their children. Brahms studied

piano, cello and horn. He was eventually accepted for lessons free of charge. Later in life

Brahms influences included Bach and Beethoven, as well as, the poetry of Eichendorff, Heine

and Emanuel Geibel. In 1897 Brahms passed away in Vienna.3

Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1813 to unknown parents and was

raised by actor/painter Ludwig Geyer. He began his formal education in 1822 in Dresden,

Germany. His first professional job was as chorus master at the theatre in Wurzburg. There he

1
Smaczny. "Dvok, Antonn."
2
Ibid
3
Bozarth."Brahms, Johannes."
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was exposed to a large variety of repertoire. As a composer Wagners operas are some of the

best known and ground breaking that came from the romantic era. In addition to compositions

Wagner was an active writer and wrote many controversial anti-semitic essays.4

Now that the context in which Dvorak wrote many of his works has been established one

must compare his work to that of Wagner. Throughout many of Dvoraks early pieces one can

see his wagnerian tendencies. For example Dvorak had A tendency to headline complex

ninth-related chords (notably bar 26 of the first movement of the second symphony) and a

startlingly obvious reference to Tannhuser in the opening ritornello of the first movement of the

A major cello concerto (for cello and piano, B 10, bb. 119-127)5 Later on in the same article

Smaczny points out even more quotes and similarities between Tannhauser and Dvoraks

works. In Dvoraks third symphony the Adagio molto, tempo di marcia features a harp in

addition to the standard orchestra and features an even more march-like central section that is a

homage to Tannhauser.6 Finally, the second movement of Dvoraks fourth symphony features

almost identical orchestration and harmonies as the Tannhauser overture; as well as, melodic

lines that are very similar in style and character.

Dvorak uses wagnerian traits beyond those used in Tannhauser as well. This is seen in an

excerpt by Marie Sumner Lott. She wrote The four quartets he composed in 1870 and 1873, on

the other hand, contain a variety of more modern resonances laden with Wagnerian and

Lisztian devices, such as surprising harmonic progressions, unconventional single-movement

4
Millington, "Wagner family."
5
Smaczny, "That great little man", 6.
6
Ibid, 10.
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forms, and themes borrowed from sections of Wagners Rienzi These include his string quartet

numbers four, five, and six.7

In order to say for certain that these musical examples are truly inspired by Wagner in

some way one must prove that Dvorak was exposed to Wagners music. In addition to this, their

interactions make Wagners influence on Dvoraks early works undisputable. Dvorak first

became aware of Wagners music early in his career while playing with the Provisional Theatre

orchestra. His adoration of Wagner is clear in an account he wrote to The Sunday Times. He said

I was perfectly crazy about him, and recollect following him as he walked along the streets to

get a chance now and again of seeing the great little mans face.8 Finally, Dvorak himself

writes, in an account to The Sunday Times that he was influenced by Wagner. one of my chief

ambitions when I began to compose was to write an opera. My first attempt was one called

Knig und Khler [The King and the Charcoal Burner]. The influence of Wagner was strongly

shown in the harmony and orchestration. I had just heard Die Meistersinger, and not long

before Richard Wagner had himself been in Prague.9

These points clearly show that Dvorak looked up to and saw Wagner as a influence in his

music. However, as he aged the main musical influence he had switched to Brahms. He still

employed some of the compositional tools used by Wagner but his style was overwhelmingly

Brahmsian.

Dvorak and Brahms most likely became aware of one anothers music in the Early to Mid

1870s.10 However, there is no definite proof that they knew of each other until 1877. At this

7
LOTT, "The Diversity of Dvoks String Quartet, 220.
8
Smaczny, That great little man", 6.
9
Ibid, 7.
10
Beveridge, Dvorak and Brahms, 58.
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time Eduard Hanslick, a judge for a composition competition Dvorak had won, suggested that

Dvorak write Brahms. After they established a relationship we begin to see the influence of

Brahms on Dvorak.11 Dvorak began sending his works to Brahms to go over before publishing.

In a letter to Simrock, a publisher, Dvorak said that he would lay the work first of all before

Meister Brahms for his inspection."12 Additionally, Dvorak requested Brahms scores from

Simrock on multiple occasions and his comments were always appreciative.13 Dvorak even

went as far as dedicating his String Quartet, D Minor, op. 34 to Brahms.14

In addition to the obvious appreciation the two composers had for one another there are

musical similarities between the two. Dvorak Symphony No. 6 is clearly connected to Brahms

Symphony No. 2 In fact the first and final movements of both works have the same scoring,

tempo, meter and key.15 They also have nearly identical formal and harmonic analysis

throughout. Brown also points out that both pieces exploit the hemiola possibilities of triple

meter.16

Antonin Dvoraks music is a blending of many styles and has many influencers.

However, the largest of these earlier in his life is Wagner which then transfers to Brahms later in

his career. This influence becomes clear after an examination of first the composers lives, second

a analysis of the similarities between Dvorak and Wagners music as well as there relationship

and finally a comparison of Dvorak and Brahms music and their relationship.

11
Ibid, 59.
12
Ibid, 77.
13
Ibid
14
Dedicated to Johannes Brahms, 437.
15
Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire, 373.
16
Ibid
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Bibliography

Beveridge, David. Dvorak and Brahms: A Chronicle, an Interpretation. Princeton: Princeton

University Press, 1993.

Bozarth, George S., and Walter Frisch. "Brahms, Johannes." Grove Music Online. 5 Dec. 2017.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.

0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051879.

Brown, A. Peter. 2002. The Symphonic Repertoire. Volume IV. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana

University Press

Dedicated to Johannes Brahms. In Brahms and His World: (Revised Edition), edited by

FRISCH WALTER and KARNES KEVIN C., 433-40. Princeton University Press, 2009.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7rxmx.26.

Dvorak, Antonin. Concerto per Violoncello Leipzig: Breitkopf und Hrtel, 1930.

FERGUSON, DONALD N. "Antonin Dvok (18411904)." In Masterworks of the Orchestral

Repertoire: A Guide for Listeners, 231-41. University of Minnesota Press, 1954.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.cttts92j.20.

Jost, and Paul Sheren. "Wagner family." Grove Music Online. 5 Dec. 2017.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.

LOTT, MARIE SUMNER. "The Diversity of Dvoks String Quartet Audiences." In The Social

Worlds of Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music: Composers, Consumers, Communities,

217-44. University of Illinois Press, 2015.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctt15hvxxk.13.
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Millington, Barry, John Deathridge, Carl Dahlhaus, Robert Bailey, Elizabeth Forbes, Christa

0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000029769

Smaczny, Jan. "Dvok, Antonn." Grove Music Online. 5 Dec. 2017.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.

0001/omo-9781561592630-e-5000008450.

---. "'That great little man": Dvorak and Wagner'. In A. Belina, & S. Muir (Eds.),

Wagner in Russia, Poland, and the Czech Lands (pp. 93-119). Ashgate: Farnham:

Ashgate Publishing.

Wagner, Richard. Tannhauser. Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1920.