Written by Anna Vorhes
BORN
September 8, 1841, Mühlhausen, Bohemia
DIED
May 1, 1904, Prague
INSTRUMENTATION
two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings
DURATION
40 minutes
COMPOSED
December 13, 1884-March 17, 1885
WORLD PREMIERE
April 22, 1885, Royal Philharmonic Society Concert at Saint James’s Hall, London with Dvořák conducting
SOMETHING INTERESTING TO LISTEN FOR: Dvořák is considered a composer with a cheerful aspect in much of his work. This symphony is an example of his ability to explore the darker and more somber hues. It was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society of London, and perhaps that honor made the composer decide to write something darker and more obviously serious. There are few hints of Slavic folk music roots or even rhythms in this symphony. The reception of the public and the critics in London was favorable, though there are always exceptions. One critic for the London Times wrote, “the entire work is painted gris-en-gris: it lacks sweetness of melody and lightness of style: it is lugubrious without the pathos of sadness which is more elevating than joy itself”. (Quoted by the Dvořák website, www. antonin-dvorak.cz .) As you listen see if you agree this is gray on gray or if you find this much more colorful.
NOTES
Before Dvořák was persuaded to come to the United States to teach, he had an ever-expanding European career. Part of his success had to do with his having a relationship with a well-known publisher, Simrock. Today a composer works in one of the notation programs – Finale, Sibelius, Dorico – and can produce easily readable and sharable scores and parts. They can hear synthesized performances of their compositions, and they can send their works all over the world. Of course ,the electronic versions of performances are not at all comparable to live performances, but they do offer a facsimile that enhances imagination. The scores are pristine, as are the parts, and editing is easy. In Dvořák’s day getting music into the hands of musicians often relied on the vagaries of publishing firms. Johannes Brahms admired Dvořák’s work and convinced his publisher Simrock to sign a contract with Dvořák. This was a one of the supports of Dvořák’s success, and also a thorn in his side at times.
Simrock published Dvořák’s Moravian Duets and the first set of Slavonic Dances. The works sold well, and Simrock was eager for more in the same vein. Dvořák was not as interested in remaining a nationalist. In 1883 the composer was invited by the Philharmonic Society of London to conduct his Stabat Mater for choir and orchestra as well as his Sixth Symphony. While he was in London he made friends with the owners of the Novello music publishing house. Now he had a bargaining chip in his negotiations with his publisher.
The Philharmonic Society commissioned the Seventh Symphony and The Spectre’s Bride for production in England. When Dvořák approached Simrock about publishing the Seventh Symphony the publisher offered only 3,000 marks, a fifth of what the publisher had paid for Brahms’ symphony published around the same time. Dvořák was not happy. A compromise was reached when Simrock offered to pay what Dvořák had expected for the Symphony if the composer provided more Slavic music. Dvořák’s desire for a more international career was at odds with what made the most money when published. If he had been able to self-publish as composers today can, there might have been a different trajectory in his music. (Another unusual practice of Simrock led to the confusion about numbering in Dvořák’s symphonies. The work we hear tonight was published as Symphony #2 by Simrock since it was the second Dvořák symphony they published. Today composers keep careful track of the order of composition and assign numbers based on when the work was composed, not when it was published.)
The Seventh Symphony takes the expected classical form. The key of D minor matches the key used by Beethoven for his Ninth Symphony. It is a “serious” key rather than a key of traditional folk music. There are few true folk influences in this symphony. Perhaps because he was writing for an English audience the composer decided to stay planted firmly in the artistic vision of a symphony. The sonata form of the first movement is clear. The orchestra is almost classical in function, with the brass in this movement doing little other than reinforce climaxes. There’s a particularly nice horn line at the end of the coda, but overall the brass do not lead this symphony. The strings and winds offer their timbres to create an enticing first movement.
The second movement, marked poco adagio, begins with a lovely wind melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. The interchange continues. The main theme is somber but allows for more upbeat interludes. The third movement is a scherzo in an A-B-A form. The A sections offers a simple theme accompanied by a complex rhythm. It has the sense of dance frequently found in this third movement section of a symphony. It’s more cheerful in aspect than the previous two movements. The B section sounds like a visit to a forest where birds are very obvious. The return to A brings back the dance feel but as the movement continues it becomes more dramatic.
The final movement, another example of sonata form, flirts with the D minor of the work and a happier resolution in D major. Dvořák crafts numerous melodies for this movement rather than only the two main melodies. There is a hint of folk styles but still the nationalistic trend is not evident. The English audience responded well to the work. Klaus Döge, writing for the Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, offers this evaluation:
“The importance to Dvořák of his success in England can scarcely be overestimated: at a time when political feeling was detrimental to the reception of his work in Germany and Austria, England, far removed from continental bickering, appreciated him properly as an artist and contributed greatly to the growth of his international fame.”
With his invitation to America still in the future, the success of this symphony was important to Dvořák’s career.
