| Dvorak Letter to Dr. Kozanek in Kromeriz (September 15, 1893) Dvorak Letter to Dr. Kozanek in Kromeriz (September 15, 1893). Spillville, Winnesheik Co., Iowa. Dear Friend, Your last letter dated the 26th August arrived safely and I was very happy to get it. Thank you. You wish to have a letter, too, from Spillville--and it's now or never as we are going tomorrow, Saturday, by way of Chicago and Niagara Falls, and then straight on to New York where I am to start work on the 21st September. The three months spent here in Spillville will remain a happy memory for the rest of our lives. We enjoyed being here and were very happy though we found the three months of heat rather trying. It was made up to us, however, by being among our own people, our Czech countrymen, and that gave us great joy. If it had not been for that, we should not have come here at all. Spillville is a purely Czech settlement, founded by a certain "Bavarian," "German," "Spielmann," who christened the place Spillville. He died four years ago, and in the morning when I went to church, my way took me past his grave and strange thoughts always fill my mind at the sight of it as of the graves of many other Czech countrymen who sleep their last sleep here. These people came to this place about 40 years ago, mostly from the neighbourhood of Pisek, Tabor and Budejovice. All the poorest of the poor, and after great hardships and struggle they are very well off here. I liked to go among the people and they, too, were all fond of me, and especially the grandmas and grandads were pleased when I played to them in church "God before Thy Majesty" and "A Thousand Times we greet Thee." I became very good friends with Father Bily, as were also our children--and often we went to visit Czech farmers 4-5 miles away. It is very strange here. Few people and a great deal of empty space. A farmer's nearest neighbour is often 4 miles off, especially in the prairies (I call them the Sahara) there are only endless acres of field and meadow and that is all you see. You don't meet a soul (here they only ride on horseback) and you are glad to see in the woods and meadows the huge herds of cattle which, summer and winter, are out at pasture in the broad fields--Men go to the woods and meadows where the cows graze to milk them. And so it is very "wild" here and sometimes very sad--sad to despair. But habit is everything. I should have to go on and on telling you things and you would hear many curious things about this America. And now about something else. Not long ago we went on a trip to the State of Nebraska, to the town of Omaha, where there are also many Czechs. I went to visit Mr. Rosewater (Czech from Bukovany). He is a personal friend of Harrison's and Cleveland's and of many outstanding politicians. He has grown rich here and his magazine, the Omaha "Bee," is the most influential in the West and, in general, he is highly esteemed and respected. We stayed with him the three days of our stay there. In the evening Czechs came to play me a "Standerl" and when we were leaving, an American band came, too, and played a few pieces. As you can imagine, a banquet was not wanting and we were very jolly and the Czechs were tremendously happy and so was I. Omaha is 400 miles from our place and then we went to visit--guess who?--Father Rynd whom I met on Czech Day in Chicago--and do you know where? in the State of Minnesotta [sic]--in the town of St. Paul, 400 miles from Nebraska-- where there are also many Czechs. He is a Moravian from Kojetin and so maybe we shall travel together. I hope very much that I shall be able to pay a visit home to Bohemia, if my contract is prolonged--or if it isn't--I must see Bohemia, no matter what. I hear that the papers at home are writing as if I wished to stay here in America for good! Oh no, never! I am very well off here, God be praised, I am in good health and am working well and I know that, as for my new Symphony, the F-major String Quartet and the Quintet (composed here in Spillville)--I should never have written these works "just so" if I hadn't seen America. You will hear later, after their performance in New York. Simrock wrote and bought everything I have and so I hope that by Spring you will have some news of them. The "Dumky," Overtures, Symphony, Quartet, Quintet, Rondo etc., while the "Te Deum" and "The American Flag" for choir and orchestra will probably be published by Novello. With affectionate greetings, Yours, Antonin Dvorak. |