Antonin Dvorak, My Father

Antonin Dvorak, My Father is a personal biography by his son Otakar who at the age of seventy-five years old decided to "write about the events missing from the other books about my father. " For musicologists, Otakar's biography of his father contains many new items, but basically the book portrays Dvorak as a father. Story after story discloses Dvofak's real identity, captured in simple words by his son, while the great composer's work and profession linger in the background. Otakar reveals in detail how his father decided to come to America. Later, after Otakar joined his parents in New York, the family set out for Spiliville. Otakar tells many stories about his father in this Czech-American community in northeastern Iowa. Dvorak's symphony From the New World was the rage of New York in December of 1893, but Otakar recalls it for a much different reason. Dvorak's depression in New York has seldom been mentioned, much less understood. But through the eyes of nine year old Otakar there is a poignancy that few musical historians could present. Otakar remembers many stories told by Dvotak's friends and pupils. These colorful stories carry us through the chapters, giving us the background to Dvofak's career and life. Otakar relates several gems for the musical historian, but the story about how his father solved a problem in his most famous opera might be the best. Otakar wrote his book to say..."ad memoriam lather. " But Otakar's epilogue for this book written a few days before his own death divulged as much about himself as his stories did about his father.