A Hero's Song, Op.111 - A Hero's Song, Symphonic Poem, Op. 111 (英雄之歌，交响诗，作品111)-Antoni Wit/Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Dvořák often adapted Bohemian folklore for his compositions, and his previous four symphonic poems were based on actual poems by the Czech poet Karel Jaromír Erben, especially Erben's collection of ballads Kytice. A Hero's Song broke away from this pattern of programmatic symphonic works, as Dvořák did not specify a specific accompanying text, and he only roughly outlined its plot in a later letter. The lack of a fixed programme has been hypothesized as a reason for its relative neglect when compared to Dvořák's other symphonic works. It has also been suggested that the work was intended to be autobiographical, an unusual approach for Dvořák. This was Dvořák's only symphonic poem that pursued Franz Liszt's idealized view of the genre, as Dvořák's other four works were based on eerie subjects not appropriate to Liszt's conception. A Hero's Song is musically structured like a four-movement symphony, beginning with an allegro con fuoco, transitioning to a slow poco adagio lacrimosa, then including a scherzo and concluding with a coda. The piece is based on a short, energetic theme in B-flat minor played in the violas, cellos, and basses at the start of the piece. This theme is featured in various forms throughout the first section. Following this, a slow section is marked by quiet music which symbolizes the hero's grief. It includes a funeral march, a musical form Dvořák also used in his Requiem, Stabat Mater, and Piano Quintet No. 2. The hero recovers from his grief as the mood of the music gradually brightens and goes into B-flat major, leading into the dance-like scherzo. Finally, the triumph of the hero is represented by the victorious coda. The piece has a run time of approximately 22 minutes.The first theme of A Hero's Song, stated by the low strings at the beginning of the piece. Although it is much less popular than Dvořák's other symphonic poems, A Hero's Song has been described as "an uninhibited outpouring of joyous energy" and "musically as rich as its siblings written one year earlier", while its lacrimosa section is "full of sadness and longing." Its character has been described as "a variation on Beethoven's style," Mahler's slight influence has been noted in the funeral march, and the ending has been compared to the patriotic music of Edward Elgar.