Dvořák: "Othello" Overture, Op. 93, B 174 (with Score)

Antonín Dvořák:
"Othello" Overture, Op. 93, B 174 (with Score)
Composed: 10 December 1891 - 18 January 1892
Conductor: Bohumil Gregor
Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic
In the spring of 1891 Dvořák set about writing a cycle of three concert overtures which were originally known by their collective title, Nature, Life and Love. Later on, however, the composer decided to split them up, giving them each an independent opus number and title: In Nature’s Realm, Op. 91, Carnival, Op. 92 and Othello, Op. 93. Given that their subject matter lies outside musical contexts, they might be regarded as part of the programmatic line of Dvořák’s oeuvre, which was not - and is probably still not - considered typically Dvořákian, but which threads its way right through the composer’s musical career.
The overtures In Nature’s Realm, Carnival and Othello represent three works sharing common ideas, whose unifying element could be said to be nature in all her forms: both a life-giving and destructive force. Given that Dvořák's world view incorporated a sturdy vision of the natural sphere and its close connection with the notion of God, the concept “nature” in this case cannot be interpreted in a narrow sense, but rather in a pantheistic way. For instance, the title of the middle part of the trilogy, Carnival, shouldn’t conjure up a sea of masks, but should instead evoke an image of the “carnival of life”. With slight exaggeration, the cycle might be seen as a somewhat secular postscript to the composer’s recently completed Requiem (although it does not aspire to attain its intellectual depth) since, here as well, the composer seems to be contemplating the positive and negative aspects of life. In any case, the non-musical subject matter of these works is merely universal, and opinions differ on what specific meaning they might have. Dvořák himself did not clarify his position for his listeners in any way since, with the exception of a few isolated notes in the score and his correspondence, he did not offer any particular interpretation. Further variants of the titles of individual parts which appear in Dvořák’s sketchbooks might hold a clue: for his overture In Nature’s Realm the composer was also considering the titles “In a Secluded Place”, “Ouvertura lyrica” and “Summer’s Night”; the original title of Carnival was “Life”, with the word “Carnival” in brackets. Dvořák’s correspondence tells us that he was also considering for his overture Othello the names “Tragic Overture” and “Eroica”. In terms of musical structure, the consolidating element of the cycle might conceivably be termed the “nature motif”. This is the main theme of the overture In Nature’s Realm, and it also figures in both subsequent overtures.
www.antonin-dvorak.cz/en/work...

[@aragornthebrave]

Brilliant!

[@alvaromolina4327]

11:30

[@ezekielthiessen7080]

That chord at 14:07 tho

[@ashl9ys]

10:04

[@aaronlonguski9240]

6:15