
Dvořák in Iowa - animalcule
https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/music/when-dvorak-went-to-iowa-to-meet-god
======
dbcurtis
I grew up just a short distance north of Spillville, Iowa. Even in those days,
the town was very Czech. In Dvorak's time, it was as Czech as San Francisco's
China Town was Chinese. In Dvorak's day, the brewer delivered a bucket of beer
to your front door every morning, as was custom in the old country. (Somebody
start that business in Sunnyvale :)

Spillville and Protivin were so Czech even when I was in school that I had
bilingual classmates, because their grandparents spoke mostly Czech, still.
And I can tell you this.... when you are a substitute teacher for a 2nd-grade
class where one third of the kids have vowel-challenged names, oh the misery.
Before you are half-way done taking attendance you will have suffered so much
derisive laughter for the mispronounced names that you will have lost control
of the classroom for the rest of the day.

Anyway, Dvorak felt very much at home in Spillville. During his day, Czech was
the language of main street and the neighborhood.

~~~
ardy42
> Spillville and Protivin were so Czech even when I was in school that I had
> bilingual classmates, because their grandparents spoke mostly Czech, still.

My grandparents were from southeastern Iowa, and I understand that their town
was mainly German-speaking. It was pretty established, too: they grew up
speaking it as third-generation Americans.

It stopped with their generation though, their town was harassed quite a bit
during WWI, and that pushed people to assimilate.

It really interesting how much linguistic diversity America had that's only
gone extinct within living memory.

------
mpmpmpmp
I never thought I would see something about my hometown of 300 people in rural
Iowa on Hackernews. There are several Dvořák murals in town as well as a
museum for handmade grandfather clocks made by the Bily brothers. One of their
descendants was my bus driver growing up and my grandfather grew up speaking
Czech and English in the home. Kolaches are also a town staple and there are
many fundraisers for Schools/Churches that include baking obscene amounts of
them.

~~~
dbcurtis
Hello from Kendallville.

~~~
mholt
And from Dubuque!

~~~
weberc2
Whoa, the author of Caddy is from Dubuque? That's so cool!

~~~
marpstar
Tom Preston-Werner (of GitHub fame) was born and raised here (Dubuque) as
well.

~~~
mholt
Really? I did not know that!

Small world.

------
skillpass
I was introduced to Dvorak and the New World Symphony through the anime Shin
Sekai Yori (From the New World).

My favorite part of the New World Symphony is the largo, and found some of the
background in this article interesting.

> Dvořák was also moved by the tale of Hiawatha, a founder of the Iroquois
> Confederacy. The largo is, in part, meant to describe the end of Hiawatha’s
> life. The old chief, weary from a life of labor, loss, and ardent service to
> his people, sits on the shores of the Great Sea Water and faces his own
> final homegoing.

------
veselykonik
Looking at title I thought it was something along the lines of state Iowa
opting in for Dvorak keyboard layout as default or something... Lol.

~~~
dbalatero
That's funny - I always think "maybe we'll talk about the composer instead of
that dang keyboard layout this time!"

~~~
veselykonik
Don't get me wrong. I highly appreciate the article and am glad for it. The
fact is I'm from Czech Republic and I was pretty sceptical Antonín Dvořák is
actually known somewhere else in the world. It was a pleasant surprise as
Novosvětská (From the New World) is a real masterpiece.

~~~
spacechild1
What? In Europe he certainly belongs to the better known composers. And the
Largo from the New World symphony is one of the most popular classical pieces.
Here in Austria it has even been made into a Christmas song called
“Weihnachtsstern“ (Christmas star).

~~~
veselykonik
As I said, my point of view is strongly skewed by living in here. Nearly
everyone _here_ knows who Dvořák was, but I was unable to tell if he's somehow
known elsewhere also. Good to know he is.

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8bitsrule
Dvorak's time in the US is not often mentioned. He spent 1892-95 in NYC as the
director of the (defunct) National Conservatory of Music of America. The 'New
World' was written at that time. (Victor Herbert also taught there.)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%20Conservatory%20of%20...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%20Conservatory%20of%20Music%20of%20America)

Here are a couple more quality articles:

Timeline: [https://www.dvoraknyc.org/dvorak-in-
america](https://www.dvoraknyc.org/dvorak-in-america)

More details on US travels: [https://www.americanheritage.com/dvorak-
america](https://www.americanheritage.com/dvorak-america)

------
raheemm
Reading this brought me to tears. Tears of nostalgia.

 _nostalgia, sad and hopeful all at once, when the familiar and the alien
mingle, as when we revisit the childhood streets where our friends are no
more, or when we return all alone to the site of some joyful memory._

