In September 1892, Dvořák took a position as director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York. The position came with an annual salary of $15,000, which was an attractive financial offer for Dvořák at the time, although he still had to find a solution for his family during this long stay.

His wife, his daughter Otilie, and his son Antonín accompanied him. The other four children came to the United States only for the summer months of 1893, which the family spent in Spillville, Iowa, a town with a strong Czech presence.

Dvořák composed some of his best-known works while in New York: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” (1893), the Te Deum, and String Quartet, Op. 96, often referred to as the “American String Quartet.” The influence of the country was evident here in certain compositional characteristics such as the pentatonic scale, a lowered leading tone, the Scotch snap, and syncopation.

In my arrangement, I took the main theme and tried to pair it with a relatively simple accompaniment. The result is a calm arrangement with an accompaniment that isn’t too difficult, yet still allows Dvořák’s music to shine.

++++Update++++

Here’s my new Easy Piano version of the piece: a new key, simpler notation, and you’ll also get the CD file here, which will be released on CD soon.

Of course, this version is also part of my upcoming four-volume piano method, which will, of course, also be part of this website.