Dvořák · Antonín Dvořák
Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor
The symphony meant to 'shake the world,' born at a train station
- Key
- D minor
- Composed
- 1885
- Premiere
- 1885 London
- Duration
- About 38 min
- Movements
- 4 movements
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 2·2·2·2 · Brass 4·2·3·0 · Timpani · Strings
The story behind this piece
In 1884, the Philharmonic Society of London elected Dvořák an honorary member and commissioned a new symphony from him.
Dvořák himself noted that the first theme of the first movement came to him when a celebration train from Budapest arrived at the Prague station. It carried people who had come to support the Czech national movement of the time.
He hoped this symphony would be a work capable of shaking the world. The premiere, which he conducted himself at St. James's Hall in London on April 22, 1885, was a great success.
There was also some haggling over publication. When the publisher Simrock offered 3,000 marks, Dvořák asked for 6,000.
What to listen for
- Opening of movement 1: Listen for the dark, tense first theme said to have come to him at the train station.
Listen · Score
- Hear the full piece on YouTube · hr-Sinfonieorchester · Andrés Orozco-Estrada
- Free scores on IMSLP (full score and parts)
Credits