Czech Philharmonic ⬩ Semyon Bychkov

The dark atmosphere of Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony ushers in its dramatic character and its compositional seriousness. Dvořák wanted to create a work referencing the traditions of Beethoven and Brahms and he succeeded in doing so without sacrificing any of his melodic inventiveness and creative light touch. Dvořák composed it on commission for London’s Philharmonic Society. Knowing that Beethoven had written his Ninth Symphony for the same society, he wanted to compose a work that would be “capable of stirring the world”. After the première at St. James Hall, Dvořák described the public’s reaction as follows: “The symphony was well liked and the audience acknowledged me and welcomed me in the most ostentatious fashion. There was pandemonium after every movement, rousing to the very end, just like at home, in fact. But this is, as always, a minor concern for me. The important thing is that the symphony, even with only two rehearsals, went superbly.” The London première took place in the spring of 1885 and in the autumn that followed, Dvořák already conducted it at the Rudolfinum. Conductors Hans Richter, Arthur Nikisch, and Hans von Bülow made the Seventh Symphony famous around the world. After the Berlin première, Dvořák wrote into von Bülow’s score enthusiastically: “Hurrah! You have brought this work to life!”

The first half of the concert also gives us a chance to experience the excitement of witnessing a world première of a new work. Detlev Glanert is practically one of Semyon Bychkov’s “court” composers; Bychkov has already conducted his Requiem for Hieronymus Bosch in Prague in 2020. Glanert’s compositional style is influenced by the music of Mahler and Ravel. As a successful opera composer who uses the communicative power of the human voice, Glanert has also chosen to include two vocal soloists in his Prague Symphony.