Based in his reimagining of Native American folklore, Longfellow’s Songs of Hiawatha has inspired music across time and place, each composer and piece offering a unique perspective on the theme. Our journey begins with Delius’s passionate Hiawatha, which transports us through longing, fulfillment, loss, and hope. Afro-British composer Coleridge Taylor’s “luscious, rich, and sensual” Hiawatha Overture follows, paving the way for Dvorak’s beloved New World Symphony which tantalizes us with influences from spirituals and indigenous music, as well as Longfellow’s poem.
Did you know?!
Neil Armstrong took a recording of Dvorak’s New World Symphony on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon!