Antonín Dvoák loved his new summer residence in Vysoká, a refreshing retreat made possible by the success of his first trip to England. He led »a happy life« there, was able to »gather new strength« and »enjoy God’s beautiful nature« every day. In August 1889, he began his Eighth Symphony, a light, cheerful counterpart to the difficult, serious Symphony No. 7 in D minor that preceded it in 1885. Dvoák now returned to his beloved Czech folk music in a veritable melodic roundelay of summery joie de vivre. The basic mood of the work led Eduard Hanslick to say that »the sun always shines in Dvoák’s music«. And it shines in an enchanting abundance of natural moods and sounds, with bird calls for which Dvoák, a bird lover, found wonderful woodwind solos.
PERFORMERS
Symphoniker Hamburg orchestra
Alexander Malofeev piano
Sylvain Cambreling conductor
PROGRAM
Elliott Carter
Three Illusions for Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
Antonín Dvoák
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88
