# Dvoraks Early Symphonies



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Everyone knows the 9th, the 7th and the 8th are also considered greats, so is the 6th to a lesser extent. Apart from these however, it seems that the first 5 are largely ignored. In fact, the 6th was published as the 1st during his life.

The 1st, this symphony was lost when Dvorak submitted it to a competition. It fell into the possession of another man named Dvorak and was sold back to the composer but wasn never performed in his lifetime. This is the only symphony that he never got to revise and so it is unclear whether it is entirely finished. It is a charming piece with many nice qualities and themes though it is immature. Dvorak was still young and his inexperience is definitely obvious.

2nd, There is no big story behind this one. It is merely the second symphony that he wrote and unfortunately has not gotten a lot of attention. It is similar to the first in its imaturity.

3rd, this one seems to me the hardest to find a recording of and I have yet to hear it. Dvorak cut out the dates so it is unclear when this was written. Premiered by the Prague Philharmonic and Smetana conducting, you would imagine it to be more popular but it remains the most elusive.

4th, this is one of my favorite symphonies ever written. Take my word for it, it is fantastic and you should go and buy a copy now. This really shows Dvorak getting into his own style, really romantic yet using the classical forms that he always did. The sweeping melodies are almost a foretelling of the famous 7,8 and 9 that were still to come. It was premiered by Smetana again but only published posthumously.

5th, Maybe the first to gain Dvorak some recognition. It was dedicated to Hans von Bulow, the famous conductor who performed a lot of Dvoraks work.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I've heard the 2nd & the 5th of those you mention. I think that these are highly influenced by Beethoven & dare I say Brahms. Dvorak was still working out his symphonic style which would become much more distinctive in the later symphonies. I agree that the early symphonies deserve more exposure, as they are quite competent works, although sometimes they read like musical essays than fully personal statements...


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

emiellucifuge said:


> Everyone knows the 9th, the 7th and the 8th are also considered greats, so is the 6th to a lesser extent. Apart from these however, it seems that the first 5 are largely ignored. In fact, the 6th was published as the 1st during his life.
> 
> The 1st, this symphony was lost when Dvorak submitted it to a competition. It fell into the possession of another man named Dvorak and was sold back to the composer but wasn never performed in his lifetime.
> 
> ...


Please do not dismiss the first and the second symphonies as immature. Please listen to the reading by Istvan Kertesz and the London Symphony. He has given respect and weight to each symphony on London/Decca. If you give them a second hearing, you will find that all symphonies from the first to the sixth are gems.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

The 4th is an awesome symphony - it should be one that is not ignored for sure!.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

When i called the first two immature i did not mean they were bad
I quite like the first but they are immature like essays rather than personal masterpieces as someone mentioned


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## Affi (Jun 8, 2011)

Conor71 said:


> The 4th is an awesome symphony - it should be one that is not ignored for sure!.


The 3rd is even more awesome. Its neglect in the concert hall is quite inexplicable.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Someone said if Wagner wrote symphonies, they would be the early symphonies of Dvorak. I don't hear it myself. I've wondered what they meant.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Wagner did write one symphony at the age of 19, and it's not bad at all. It sounds suprisingly Schubertian at times.
Nothing for a young aspiring composer to be ashamed of. There have been several recordings, including Edo DeWaart and the San Francisco symphony on Philips, a label which is unfortunately no longer producing recordings. Many are currently being reissued at a
bargain price on Decca. There is also a fegment of a second.
Wolfgang Sawallishc and the Philadelphia orchestra also have a recording on EMI,which is probably no longer available,
I'm also very fond of the first six Dvorak symphonies, and got to know them ages ago on LP from the classic recordings by Istvan Kertesz and the LSO, a set now on CD, which is a great bargain.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I think Neeme Jarvi did a complete cycle with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra - shouldn't be too hard to get hold of (although I would go with other recordings for 4-9).


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I would trust Neeme Jarvi with Dvorak. 

I've heard bits of some of the earlier symphonies. The 5th is my favorite, the last movement is very fiery.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I would trust Neeme Jarvi with Dvorak.
> 
> I've heard bits of some of the earlier symphonies. The 5th is my favorite, the last movement is very fiery.


Jarvi's interpretations are certainly enjoyable, which is why I go to him for the less often recorded early symphonies, but I prefer other recordings of the late symphonies because Jarvi's collection doesn't have wonderful sound quality.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Symphonies no 1 - 5 with the Slovak Philharmonic & Zdenek Kosler from a Brilliant Classics box. I would advise these above Neeme Järvi's interpretations.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

FWIW I go to several people for Dvorak Symphonies--4/Kertesz, 5/Jansons, 6&8/Chung, 7/Bernstein, 9/Harnoncourt. Dvorak Syms. 1 - 3 don't interest me.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Thank you for your interest guys.

1. I can definitely agree with the person who cimpared them to Wagner. Although he took to programmatic music later in his career, Wagner had already been a big influence. Dvorak played in an orchestra under Wagner performing one of his operas and was very impressed by the music. The chromaticism is very obvious in moments of the early symphonies, and the 4th includes direct quotes from Tannhauser

2. I agree; dont go to Jarvi for 5-9. The 7th I recommend Colin Davis with the RCO, the 9th there are many many good recordings, the 5th and 6th are best done by Jiri Belohlavek imo with the BBCphil. However, I disagree in that I think Jarvi's recording of the 4th is the one to go to. 1-3 I agree with Txllxt.

3. Ive just read in a book, where the author claims Brahms took big influence from Dvorak's 5th in writing his own third symphony. I plan to start a new thread with the details soon.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

emiellucifuge said:


> 3. Ive just read in a book, where the author claims Brahms took big influence from Dvorak's 5th in writing his own third symphony. I plan to start a new thread with the details soon.


It'll be interesting to couple that with Dvorak's 6th being influenced by Brahms's 2, most clearly in the final movements


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Another thing I never really considered is that Dvorak wrote his first 5 before Brahms even got around to his first. This is slightly incompatible with the view we have of Brahm's being Dvorak's senior and musical inspirator.


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## Affi (Jun 8, 2011)

3rd, this one seems to me the hardest to find a recording of and I have yet to hear it. Dvorak cut out the dates so it is unclear when this was written. Premiered by the Prague Philharmonic and Smetana conducting, you would imagine it to be more popular but it remains the most elusive.
__________________________________________________________________

It's not too difficult to find. I have 4 recordings: Kertész; Rowicki; Järvi, & Gunzenhauser. I'm sure you will find these at Amazon.


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

let's listen to Otmar Suitner with the Staatskapelle Berlin version.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Decca has recently reissued the excellent complete set by the late Polish conductor Witold
Rowicki withthe LSO ,which was originally on Philips,at a bargain price.
Unfortunately, Philips is no longer producing any new recordings, but much of its catalogue is being reissued on Decca as bargains.


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

I'm familiar with 4, 7, 8, and 9. This is not the first time I've heard high praise from 4, and while I like it I don't think it is anything particularly special. I might be biased though, as I find that it's easier for me to dismiss and dislike romantic music.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

3rd and 1st are fantastic. I don't like the first movement of 2nd symphony. 
Though 2nd movement of 4th symphony is very good, the third and fourth movements are blight!


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