Dvořáks Symphony No. 9 with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Dvořák's Symphony No. 9

Dvořák wrote his Ninth Symphony while he was director of the New York Conservatory from 1892 to 1895. The African-American presence in the music scene of that time was large. Ragtime did not interest Dvořák, but he was fascinated by Negro spirituals. In 1893 he attended one of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West shows with singing and dancing by a group of Oglala Sioux. This Native American influence also resonates in the New World . On the day of the premiere, Dvořák described his Native American sources of inspiration in the New York Herald , and pointed out parallels with Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha .

Rafał Blechacz with Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2

In 2005, Rafał Blechacz won first prize at the famous Chopin Competition in Warsaw. The music of this composer is tailor-made for him, as can be heard in the hall and on CDs. His performances have become freer in expression and interpretation over the years, according to the musician himself. In 2016, Blechacz took a sabbatical to complete a doctorate in philosophy. In his dissertation, he investigated aspects of the metaphysics and aesthetics of music. He learned 'to understand both the freedoms and the limitations of musical interpretations'.