Symphony No. 6 (Dvořák)

The "Symphony No. 6 in D major, opus 60", was composed by Antonín Dvořák in the very short period from 27 August to 15 October, 1880, and first published as Symphony No. 1.It is dedicated to the German conductor Hans Richter, who requested Dvořák compose a symphony for the Vienna Philharmonic (although that orchestra never performed it under Richter).

Dvoák scored the symphony for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings. It runs roughly 40 to 45 minutes in performance.

Structure

The Symphony in four movements:

#"Allegro non tanto"
#"Adagio"
#"Scherzo: Furiant (Presto)"
#"Finale: Allegro con spirito"

The first movement shows the influence of Brahms's Symphony No. 2 (also in D major), and features lyrical writing for the strings and woodwind, with "grandioso" contributions from the brass.

The slow second movement continues the pastoral mood, in a style demonstrating Dvořák's reverence for Beethoven, in particular his third symphony.

The aptly-named third-movement "Scherzo: Furiant" is very similar in character to Dvořák's own Slavonic Dances. The symphony was so well received at its first performance that this movement was repeated as an encore.

The fourth-movement finale again shows the influence of Brahms, and the coda brings the symphony to an exciting "presto" conclusion.

Performance history

The work's first performance was given in Prague on March 25, 1881, by the Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Adolf Čech. Performances followed the next the year in Leipzig and London, and in 1883 in Vienna. The London performance, in May 1882 with Richter conducting the Royal Philharmonic Society, led that group to commission a new symphony from Dvořák, resulting in his Symphony No. 7.

After Dvořák's death, the composer's symphonies fell out of the general repertory across much of the world, with the notable exception of the very popular "New World" Symphony (No. 9). Outside of Prague, the Sixth received very few performances in the first half of the twentieth century. Renewed interest in the range of Dvořák's music was generated by the publication of a complete critical edition of his symphonies in the 1950s. Since that time, the Sixth has regained a foothold in the repertory, delighting audiences with its nationalistic vigor, tunefulness, and musical zest. More than a dozen commercial recordings have been made of this work since the 1960s, including widely respected versions conducted by Istvan Kertesz, Rafael Kubelík, Christoph von Dohnanyi, and Jirí Bělohlávek.

References

* Steinberg, Michael. "The Symphony: A Listener's Guide". Oxford University Press, 1995.
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