Antonin Dvorák belongs to the peculiar fraternity of composers who aspired above all things to be great operatic composers, but whose legacies rest primarily on other accomplishments. Unlike others in that group, like Franz Schubert for instance, Dvorák at least has one bona fide operatic hit: Rusalka, his sumptuous and touching fairy tale about a water nymph who becomes human for love. But that one work hardly does justice to his career-long obsession with dramatic music, which resulted in no fewer than 11 full-length ...
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Antonin Dvorák belongs to the peculiar fraternity of composers who aspired above all things to be great operatic composers, but whose legacies rest primarily on other accomplishments. Unlike others in that group, like Franz Schubert for instance, Dvorák at least has one bona fide operatic hit: Rusalka, his sumptuous and touching fairy tale about a water nymph who becomes human for love. But that one work hardly does justice to his career-long obsession with dramatic music, which resulted in no fewer than 11 full-length operas, including The Jacobin, completed in 1888. If you're looking to go a level deeper into Dvorák's operatic music, The Jacobin is as good a place as any to start. It has everything that makes Rusalka great -- swelling orchestral climaxes, rich melodies, and naturalistic conversation stitched into coherent musical scenes -- as well as Bohemian musical elements that Rusalka does not have. The main difference is in the quality of the libretto, which like those of Dvorák's other obscure...
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