Dvořák and His Contemporaries

Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904) was one of the greatest composers of his day, but he had serious competition for that honor. Here are just some of the great names of music born within three years of Dvořák:

- George Bizet (1838 – 1875): Carmen

- Modest Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881): Pictures at an Exhibition

- Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893): The Nutcracker

- Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 – 1900): The Pirates of Penzance

- Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907): music for Peer Gynt

- Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 – 1908): Scheherazade

With contemporaries like that, it’s hard to become the single leading name. However, one thing is clear: the late 1800s was a great time for fine music.

--Betsy Schwarm