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still rages on today in some circles as to the degree to and prominence of which American influences are stamped upon these works, the Cello Concerto was the last work which he composed in America and Dvorak, growing ever more restive and increasingly more homesick, imbued this work with an unmistakable Czech flavor. Thirtyyears prior to the completion of the B minor Cello Concerto, the twenty- four year old Dvofäk attempted to write a Cello Concerto in A major. At this time, while he was supporting himself primarily through teaching, Dvorak became enamored with one of his stu- dents, Josefina Cermäk, the sixteen- year-old daughter of a wealthy jeweler; however, the young woman did not feel the same way toward the budding Com poser. In order to win her heart, Dvorak turned his attention away from orches- trating the A major Concerto and instead composed a song cycle entitled Cypresses for her; nonetheless, Josefina remained unimpressed by his attempt to woo her through his music and Dvorak ultimately dedicated the cycle to someone eise. The composer subse- quently feil in love with Josefina’s younger sister Anna, and the two were eventually married. Ultimately, the A major Concerto remained incomplete and abandoned. One factor in the creation of the B minor Concerto was a request for a piece from Dvofäk’s friend, Hans Wihan, a member of the Bohemian String Quartet, and considered the finest Czech cellist of the time. Another factor was the composer’s appreciation for the Cello Concerto No. 2 by Victor Herbert which Dvorak had heard per- formed by the New York Philharmonie in Brooklyn in 1894, with Herbert him self as the soloist. Dvorak began work on the B minor Concerto on November 8, 1894, orchestrating it as it went along, completing the first movement in just over a month. The Adagio move ment was finished in three days, while the Finale, begun after a two-week respite, was finished on February 9, 1895. While in the midst of writing the Adagio movement, Dvorak received news that his sister-in-law, Josefina, had fallen seriously ill. Dvorak inserted in the middle of the Adagio a melody from one of his earlier songs (Leave MeAlone, from Four Songs, Op. 8?) of which Josefina was particularly fond. Upon his return to Bohemia, Dvorak learned of Josefina’s death, whereupon he re-wrote the ending of the Finale. The revision added a direct quotation from the same song he had employed in the Adagio. Dvorak dedicated his Cello Concerto to Hans Wihan; however, it is interesting