Spillville, Iowa: A charmer off the beaten track

Article by: BILL HAMMOND , Star Tribune
Updated: January 13, 2013 - 10:41 AM

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josflandJan. 13, 13 6:43 PM

As a direct descendant of the Dvořáks of Spillville we need a correction. Dvořák is a relatively common name in the Czech Republic, and those of Spillville were not "cousins" of Antonín's. He came from a village north of Prague, and those of Spillville came from a tiny village of Pořežánky in the south.

AcousticGuyJan. 13, 1310:07 PM

jofsland -- I regret publishing information that you regard as incorrect. That tidbit was based on this Wiki entry, perhaps you can correct it? In the winter and spring of 1893, Dvořák was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to write Symphony No.9, "From the New World", which was premiered under the baton of Anton Seidl. He spent the summer of 1893 with his family in the Czech-speaking community of Spillville, Iowa, to which some of his cousins had earlier immigrated. While there he composed the String Quartet in F (the "American"), and the String Quintet in E flat, as well as a Sonatina for violin and piano. He also conducted a performance of his Eighth Symphony at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago that same year.