The Classics Explained series explores, in words and music, the major classical works of the concert hall. In an accessible and lively manner, Jeremy Siepmann looks at the history and the form of the great masterpieces of Western music.

Few works for the concert hall have won such immediate and continuing popularity as Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World'. Dramatic, lyrical, and spacious, it presents a rich panorama of ravishing and exciting orchestral colours, reflecting the experiences and emotions of the great Czech composer during his years in America towards the end of the nineteenth century. Its abiding magic might seem beyond analysis, but in this detailed and fascinating tour Jeremy Siepmann explores the inner-workings of a masterpiece, his enthusiasm not only intact but enhanced.

Dvorák's 'New World' Symphony is undoubtedly a much-played, much-loved masterpiece - but why? What are the 'New World' connections, and how does it link with the 19th-century symphonic tradition that was so much the composer's musical heritage? This informal but fascinating and detailed account enriches our appreciation of one of the most popular symphonies without the need for any theoretical knowledge of music.