Saturday, June 13, 2020 by Mary O'Connor | OCMS

Today's piece is slow and easy-going.  The name "Largo" itself means slow.  Antonin Dvorák wrote this as a part of his Symphony No. 9 in E minor, also known as From the New World, Op. 95, B. 178, or just the New World Symphony.

Popularly known as the New World Symphony, it was composed in 1893 while Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular of all symphonies. In older literature and recordings, this symphony was often numbered as Symphony No. 5.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong took a tape recording of the New World Symphony along during the Apollo 11 mission, the first Moon landing, in 1969.

Find Largo in Keyboard Kickoff, Prelude (it's called River  Road),  Movement 2 and Piano Maestro

For Piano

And orchestra

The theme from the Largo was adapted into the spiritual-like song "Goin' Home", often mistakenly considered a folk song or traditional spiritual, by Dvořák's pupil William Arms Fisher, who wrote the lyrics in 1922.

.

Pipe Organ

Recorder

And sung

Whenever I think of slow things, I'm reminded of this clip from the old TV Show, Taxi

So, since today is Saturday...

Tweet