Symphony no. 6 in D major Opus 60

1. Allegro non tanto
2. Adagio
3. Scherzo: Furiant: Presto
4. Finale: Allegro con spirito - Presto

The sixth symphony, which Dvořák conducted on his first visit to England in 1884, at a concert of the London Philharmonic Society, was to become a great favourite with the English public at a time when the symphonies of Brahms were considered to be difficult to comprehend and the very name of Tchaikovsky was unknown.

Though Dvořák had written five (then unpublished) symphonies before this one, the score was issued as ‘Symphony no. 1’, a situation arousing some surprise among audiences at the music’s maturity and accomplishment. “The Symphony showed itself to be a ripe work by an experienced composer whose artistic development had led him to his own individual form of expression”, wrote Frantisek Bartos. “With its maturity, individuality, sure touch and masterly construction of symphonic form, the composition proved itself to be the work of a master.”
The symphony effectively combines elements of the symphonic tradition as pioneered by Brahms with what has been called Dvořák’s idealization of Czech folk music. This characteristic style of Dvořák, uniting the two great streams of concert and vernacular music, richly illuminates the work’s opening movement. The influence of Brahms, particularly of his Second Symphony of 1878, is clear in the music’s sonorities, motivic development and careful control of the ebb and flow of the lines of tension, while the folk quality is heard in the tunefulness of the themes. Music so rich in reference is bound to excite the imagination of certain commentators, and Otakar Sourek heard in this movement “the humour and pride, the optimism and passion of the Czech people come to life, and in it breathes the sweet fragrance and unspoiled beauty of Czech woods and meadows.”
In the slow movement, the violins sing one of the loveliest of all Dvořák's melodies. Luminously scored, this pervades most of the movement, though it is usually heard only in fragments in various instrumental combimations. A brief dramatic outburst towards the end is followed by the closing coda which includes the subtle impact of soft drumbeats. The third movement is the vivacious Scherzo. Based on the Czech furiant dance, it is filled with the same powerful shifting accents borrowed from Bohemian dance that enliven so many of the composer’s own Slavonic Dances.
The finale opens with soft, scurrying music in the strings, and, as in the first movement, the music takes time to unfurl; finally the full orchestra grandly proclaims it as the principal theme. Dvořák has more captivating melodies ready, notably a bouncing dance-like tune that is first heard in clarinet and violas; later in the development section he will turn this into a lively fugato. In the symphony's final moments, Dvořák combines racing strings, a grandly stretched-out peroration of his theme, and a brass chorale.