Antonin Dvorak was a Czech from Bohemia, a country once described "the most innately musical nation in Europe" as well as being famous for its dances and its beer. Dvorak was the eldest son of a peasant family who were outgoing and popular - his father was not only the village butcher but he also ran the main inn in the village, and was a competent singer, fiddle and zither player.

As a boy Dvorak learnt to play the violin, viola, piano and organ, but his father wanted him to take over the family butchery trade. Gradually however parental opposition was overcome, and Dvorak went to Prague to train formally. He spent the next ten years or so working on his craft privately, writing many scores which he destroyed, and earning his keep by playing viola in an orchestra and occasional teaching. It was not until his mid thirties that he achieved real success, partly through the friendship and support of Brahms, who was just six years older than Dvorak. It was through Brahms that he signed up with a publisher called Simrock, which enabled Dvorak's music to be heard all over the world - and made a fortune for Simrock.

All his life Dvorak retained characteristics of his peasant background, being neither intellectual not manipulative, but direct, open and honest. He was no idiot: he soon realised that Simrock was making more from his music than he was himself, and learnt to negotiate his fees upwards with some guile. But his non-musical past times were hardly "cultured" - he loved watching steam locomotives and breeding pigeons!

When Dvorak was 50 he was invited to become Director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York. After much heart-searching (and haggling over terms) he accepted, and spent three years in America. Musically they were very productive and saw the creation of the "American" string quartet and the New World symphony, as well as the cello concerto.

Written over the winter of 1894-5, the concerto was dedicated to his friend Hanus Wihan, cellist with the Bohemian String Quartet. When they discussed the solo part together, Wihan made various suggestions for improvements, including a cadenza towards the end. Dvorak turned down all these ideas, and these differences of opinion led to the first performance being given not by Wihan but by the English cellist Leo Stern. This was on 19th March 1896 in London, with Dvorak conducting. It was another three years before the concerto was performed by its dedicatee.

The first movement of the concerto opens in B minor like a symphony, with the soloist sitting idle while the orchestra gives us both the main themes. The first is the opening motto itself, soon taken up boldly by full orchestra. The second is the lovely horn theme, lyrical and expressive. When the soloist finally joins in, he takes centre stage immediately, giving his own version of both themes in succession. A climax follows, and the orchestra has its own way for a while - then the soloist gives us a new version of the opening theme, in the lyrical character we associate with the second theme, accompanied by a lovely flute melody. More development follows, and then Dvorak shows us what fun he is having by bringing the second, lyrical theme back on full orchestra, in the bold character of the first theme! A reprise of some of the earlier material follows, gradually getting more excited, until the joyful - almost ecstatic - ending in B major.

The slow movement is full of song, with the cello and woodwind soloists enjoying some lovely inter-twining lines. Analysis is unnecessary is such music; just enjoy the beauty, especially the way Dvorak is reluctant to end this movement - drawn out, wistful phrases of peaceful nostalgia.

Starting quietly and building up, the finale is in march time, with orchestra and soloist alternating themes. There is yet another of Dvorak's lyrical second melodies, warm and rich, and the movement is working toward a triumphant close when it is interrupted by a master stroke - a series of farewells reminiscent of the slow movement, where the soloist soars high above the orchestra, gradually descending at the end to leave the joyous closing bars to orchestra alone.