Symphony No. 1 (Dvořák)

The Symphony No. 1 in C minor, B. 9, subtitled "The Bells of Zlonice" (Czech: Symfonie č. 1 c moll „Zlonické zvony“), was composed by Antonín Dvořák during February and March 1865. The work was written in the early Romantic style, and it was inspired by the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Felix Mendelssohn.[1]

Dvořák submitted the score for a competition in Germany, but never saw it again, and always believed it was destroyed or irretrievably lost. He later included the work in a list of early compositions he claimed to have destroyed. However, in 1882, an unrelated person named Dr. Rudolf Dvořák, a 22-year old Oriental scholar, came across the score in a second-hand bookshop in Leipzig, and bought it. At that time the composer Dvořák was not widely known; although he had written six symphonies, only one of them (No. 6) had been published and only three of them (Nos. 3, 5 and 6) had been performed. Rudolf Dvořák kept it in his possession, telling nobody about it, until he died 38 years later, in 1920, when it passed to his son. The son brought it to the attention of the musical world in 1923. Its authenticity was proven beyond doubt, but it did not receive its first performance until 4 October 1936 (in Brno, by an orchestra conducted by Milan Sachs[2][3], a Croatian opera conductor), and even then, in a heavily edited form.[3] It was not published until 1961, and was the last of Dvořák's symphonies to be either performed or published.[4]

The first was the only one of his symphonies that Dvořák never heard performed or had a chance to revise. The title The Bells of Zlonice does not appear in the score, although Dvořák is reputed to have referred to it this way in later years. While some argue that there is no programmatic content, it has been noted that several passages sound much like bells.[2] It was originally conceived as a three-movement work, and the Allegretto was added later. The 658-measure first movement, marked Maestoso — Allegro, is, in the original version, the longest movement of all his symphonic works,[4] owing to a 278-measure repeated exposition section comprising 44 score pages, thereby requiring just under 19 minutes to perform uncut.

It has been recorded various times, but the first recording complete and uncut was made in 1966 by the London Symphony Orchestra under István Kertész as part of his complete Dvořák cycle for Decca/London.[4] Other notable recordings have been by Witold Rowicki, also with the London Symphony (Philips, 1970); the Berlin Philharmonic under Rafael Kubelík (DG, 1973); and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi (Chandos, 1987).

Contents

Form

The work is in four movements:

  1. Maestoso – Allegro
  2. Adagio molto
  3. Allegretto
  4. Finale (Allegro animato)

A typical performance of the work has a duration of about fifty minutes: the movements are approximately 19, 13, 9, and 12 minutes long, respectively.[2]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for an orchestra of two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes (one doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings.

Reception

Following the work's premiere, Hans Holländer wrote a review of the work. He noted that although the writing was at times awkward, the orchestration was not. He noted that it seemed to be similar in style to Beethoven and Smetana.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Album notes (SU 3703-2 032), p. 4
  2. ^ a b c d A. Peter Brown, The Second Golden Age of the Viennese Symphony
  3. ^ a b Musical Times, November 1936
  4. ^ a b c Ray Minshull, Liner notes from the István Kertész recording.

References

Burghauser, Jarmil; Zoja Joachimová (1990). Album notes for Symphonies 1-2-3 (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Neumann) by Antonín Dvořák, pp. 4–5 [CD]. Prague: Supraphon (SU 3703-2 032).[1]

External links