Dvorak Symphony No. 7

In December of 1884, Dvorak wrote to a friend about the
composition of a new symphony: "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!!" He was in the
midst of working on what would become his 7th symphony, and even
though it is nowhere near as popular as his 9th symphony(The New
World Symphony) or even the sunny 8th symphony, it is often
thought of as Dvorak’s greatest symphony, and for the record, I
agree. This symphony is Dvorak at his most serious, most
passionate, and most intense. Throughout the symphony, a kind of
darkness pervades the work that is very unusual for Dvorak,
though it also is full of so many of the things that make
Dvorak’s music so beloved today: gorgeous melodies as far as the
eye can see, glorious orchestral writing, and more. But what it
lacks, unlike the 8th symphony for example, is the kind of
simplicity and naivete that marks much of Dvorak’s music, and
this lack of “innocence” has led scholars, musicians, and
audience members to try to find an extra musical “meaning” for
this music. Is the music an expression of Czech nationalism? Is
it an expression of grief after the loss of his mother and eldest
daughter? Was Dvorak trying to impress Brahms with his
seriousness? What could have caused Dvorak to suddenly embrace
such darkness in his music? Well, as we’ll find out, it could be
a combination of all of those reasons, but also it could be none
of them at all. In the end, what is most important is the
remarkable music that Dvorak wrote for this 7th symphony, and so
today on the show we’ll go through the symphony, trying to
illuminate just what makes this, perhaps, Dvorak’s greatest
symphony. Join us!