Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predecessor BedÅ™ich Smetana. Dvorák's style has been described as "the fullest recreation of a national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of using them," and he himself has been described as "arguably the most versatile... composer of his time". He displayed his musical gifts at an early age, being an apt violin student. The first public performances of his works were in Prague in 1872 and, with special success, in 1873, when he was 31 years old. Seeking recognition beyond the Prague area, he submitted scores of symphonies and other works to German and Austrian competitions. He did not win a prize until 1874, with Johannes Brahms on the jury of the Austrian State Competition. In 1877, after his third win, Brahms recommended Dvorák to his publisher, Simrock, who commissioned what became the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46. The sheet music's high sales and critical reception led to his international success. A London performance of Dvorák's Stabat Mater in 1883 led to many other performances in the United Kingdom, the United States, and eventually Russia in March 1890. The Seventh Symphony was written for London in 1885.

His "Poetic Tone Pictures" show an entirely different side to the composer known for his symphonies and string quartets. The 13 postcards for piano that make up DvoÅ™ák's Poetic Tone Pictures were written in the Spring of 1889, and signal a shift in style from a composer moving away from formal constructions towards a more free, inspired aesthetic. Among these charming pieces are evocations of magic and mystery (The Old Castle), rustic dances (Furiant and Peasant Ballad), nostalgic mood pieces (Twilight Way), and tragic reminiscences (At a Hero's Grave). The works range from the deeply profound to the playful, from lighthearted to furious - "I feel a very strong, wonderful narrative in them," says Leif Ove Andsnes, who firmly believes DvoÅ™ák conceived the pieces of this 'exceptional' set as a cycle to be played together. It's a cycle of many stories but it also feels like one big story; like someone opening a book and saying, 'Listen, I'm going to tell you something'. And then it just opens, piece by piece.

Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C 3%A1k).

Although originally composed for Solo Piano, I created this Arrangement of "In the Old Castle" (Na starém hradÄ›) from "Poetic Tone Pictures" (Op. 85 B. 161 No. 3) in Eb Major for Flute & Piano.