- Written in 1889, Dvořák’s eighth symphony consists of four movements and premiered in Prague with the National Theatre Orchestra, conducted by the composer:
- Allegro con brio
- Adagio
- Allegretto grazioso
- Allegro ma non troppo
- It’s worth noting that this symphony was written at Dvořák’s summer residence in Vysoká, which is where the composer seemed to be the most at ease. The peaceful environment and connection with nature can be felt in the symphony’s bucolic imagery.
- Fun fact – Dvořák would later write his famous opera, Rusalka, at the summer residence.1
- In 1889, Dvořák had just been admitted to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts and consequently dedicated the symphony “To the Bohemian Academy of Emperor Franz Joseph for the Encouragement of Arts and Literature, in thanks for my election.”2
Sources
- “Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, B163,” Antonín Dvořák, accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.antonin-dvorak.cz/en/work/symphony-no-8/.
- Michael Clive, “DVORÁK: Symphony No. 8,” Utah Symphony (2019), accessed July 28, 2025, https://utahsymphony.org/explore/2019/12/dvorak-symphony-no-8/.
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