James Clayton Photo: Supplied
In 1891, Antonín Dvořák was appointed as Director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York. Before leaving his native Bohemia to take up the post, he received a commission from Jeannette Thurber, a wealthy New York philanthropist. The commission was for a cantata to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America.
Thurber’s intention was that Dvořák should set to music a patriotic American poem but because of delays in selecting a suitable text, Dvořák decided instead to set the text of Te Deum Laudamus (We praise thee, O God) as being suitably celebratory.
The Te Deum was premiered at Carnegie Hall shortly after Dvořák arrived in New York, on 21 October 1892.
Recorded 26 May 2018, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
