The sound of Dvorak's name first spread through the nations of Europe, and finally to America. His success came about in his 23rd year, when this modest and unknown Czech musician began to attract a lot of attention foreign audiences, artists, and publishers. The finest conductors and virtuosos became his admirers and even friends, interpreting his compositions with great feeling.

Dvorak was also constantly publishing new pieces, which were issuing from the mind of this genius unbelievably quickly - little songs and compositions for piano, chamber pieces as well as orchestral, large oratorial works and cantatas, and finally even dramatic works and operas.

His talent took him to England, where he recieved an honorary doctorate of music from Cambridge University, and he was invited to Germany and Russia to conduct his own pieces. During his time in the United States, he composed his famous Symphony from the New World.

After his return to Bohemia, Dvorak took up the post of director of the Prague Conservatory, during which time he also continued his creative work. He couldn't suspect that his final public appearance would be at the performance of several of his most important work at the first Czech musical festival held in Prague. Not even a month after this musical event, he died unexpectedly on the first day of May, 1904, at the age of 62.

His funeral became a national demonstration, during which his coffin was driven through Prague to the Vysehrad Cemetery. In the Tyn church, mourners gathered for the sad ceremony, at which the requiem of another musical genius - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - was played. So ended the life of the son of a butcher and innkeeper, who had to struggle for a long time before he was allowed to choose music as his life's work.

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