Born in Bohemia, the Czech composer fused a nationalistic language with the then-current mainstream symphonic tradition—and won the approval and patronage of Brahms. Of his nine symphonies, the final three are repertoire works (No. 7 perhaps his finest, No. 9 the hit), and he wrote one of the greatest of all cello concertos, a magnificent creation. His chamber music taps deep into the Czech spirit, and the homesickness he felt when he went to work in New York inspired some of his loveliest works. There is still much of his music that isn't performed regularly but which offers huge rewards to the curious. Start exploring with this selection; it includes some of his greatest work.