Symphony No. 5 in F Major: milestone in Dvořák’s oeuvre

Today’s edition of Sunday Music Show is dedicated to Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 5 in F Major, which represents a milestone in the composer’s work. Written in 1885 in just six weeks, the piece is a culmination of his early symphonies. It also marks the beginning of the series which would eventually be recognised as Dvořák’s symphonic masterpieces. 

In his Symphony No. 5 Dvořák became one of the first composers to succeed in re-inventing the structure of the classical symphony, giving it a new, modern style. The symphony was first performed four years after it was written, on 25 March 1879 at Prague’s Žofín. The recording you are going to hear was performed by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek.