Douglas Shadle Boeken

Before Anton�n Dvor�k's New World Symphony became one of the most universally beloved pieces of classical music, it exposed the deep wounds of racism at the dawn of the Jim Crow era while serving as a flashpoint in broader debates about the American ideals of freedom and equality. Drawing from a diverse array of historical voices, author Douglas W. Shadle's richly textured account of the symphony's 1893 premiere shows that even the classical concert hall could not remain insulated from the country's racial politics.

The launch of the enterprise -- Anthony Philip Heinrich, hapless wanderer -- William Henry Fry, operatic translator -- George Frederick Bristow, American stalwart -- The rivalry of nations -- The end of an era -- Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Pan-American republican -- John Knowles Paine, universal classicist -- The rivalry of generations -- Ellsworth Phelps, Brooklyn patriot -- The