Symphony No. 7 (Dvořák)

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Symphony No. 7 in D minor ("Symfonie c. 7 d moll"), Op. 70, by Antonín Dvořák (published as No. 2) was first performed in London on April 22, 1885 shortly after the piece was completed on March 17, 1885. This symphony is an emotionally turbulent work, certainly the most typically romantic symphony Dvořák wrote, reminiscent of Brahms' Fourth Symphony in both its form, scope, and tragedy.

1 Compositional Structure
2 Composition History
3 External links

[edit] Compositional Structure

I. Allegro maestoso

II. Poco adagio

III. Scherzo: Vivace - Poco meno mosso

IV. Finale: Allegro

The work, at approximately 35 minutes in length, is scored for an orchestra of 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings.

[edit] Composition History

Dvořák's work on the symphony began on December 13, 1884. Dvořák heard and admired Brahms’s new 3rd Symphony, and this prompted him to think of writing of a new symphony himself. So it was fortuitous that in that same year the London Philharmonic society invited him to write a new symphony and elected him as an honorary member. A month later, after his daily walk to the railway station in Prague, he said “the first subject of my new symphony flashed in to my mind on the arrival of the festive train bringing our countrymen from Pest”. The Czechs were in fact coming to the Prague National Theatre, where there was to be a musical evening to support the political struggles of the Czech nation. He resolved that his new symphony would reflect this struggle. In doing so the symphony would also reveal something of his personal struggle in reconciling his simple and peaceful countryman’s feelings with his intense patriotism and his wish to see the Czech nation flourish.

He completed a sketch of the 1st movement in 5 days, and he wrote to one of his friends: “I am now busy with this symphony for London, and wherever I go I can think of nothing else. God grant that this Czech music will move the world!!” Ten days later he finished his sketch of the slow movement. He added a footnote “From the sad years”. This refers to the recent death of his mother, and probably also to the previous death of his eldest child, and these events were in his mind especially in this movement. However, there is also a broader horizon—he wrote to a friend ”What is in my mind is Love, God, and my Fatherland”

The movement starts with intense calm and peace, but also includes turmoil and unsettled weather. He told his publisher that “there is not one superfluous note”. In the next month or so he completed the sketches of the 3rd and 4th movements. Dvořák said that the 4th movement includes a suggestion of the capacity of the Czech people to display stubborn resistance to political oppressors. In 1885 it received its brilliantly successful first performance at St James’s Hall London, with Dvořák himself conducting. [Incidentally, this was his third visit to England—his next visit was to the Birmingham Festival in the same year, where he gave eight concerts, each more than four hours long! The Birmingham Festival Committee then asked him to write an oratorio on the Dream of Gerontius. Instead, he wrote a Requiem Mass, which was performed in Birmingham during the eighth of his nine English visits, where he was again received with great affection].

Despite the success of the 7th symphony, the publication of the work was a nightmare. Dvořák's contracted German publishers, Simrock, seemed to go out of their way to make difficulties and to irritate him. First, they said they would not consider publishing it until a piano duet arrangement was available. Simrock then flatly refused Dvořák to print his Czech name Antonín on the cover—the publisher insisted that it should be Anton, and that the title page should be in German only. Finally, he was told that the dedication to the London Philharmonic Society would have to be omitted. During all of these prolonged arguments, Dvořák asked Simrock for an advance: “I have a lot of expense with my garden, and my potato crop isn’t very good”. Eventually, Simrock offered only 3000 marks for the symphony, which was a low value for such a major work. Dvořák replied that other publishers would readily pay twice as much. After further argument, Simrock grudgingly paid the 6000 marks. The 7th symphony, together with the 8th and 9th, represent Dvořák at his best, and they each reveal a somewhat different aspect of his personality. The 7th is the most ambitious in structure, and the most consciously international in its message.