At London’s St. James’s Hall on today’s date in 1885, the Czech composer Antonin Dvorak conducted the London Philharmonic Society’s orchestra in the premiere of his Seventh Symphony, a work they had commissioned.

The Society had also commissioned Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony decades earlier, a fact of which Dvorak was quite aware, and just before starting work Dvorak heard and was bowled over by the brand-new Third Symphony by his friend and mentor Johannes Brahms.  In other words… “No pressure!”

Dvorak felt he must do his very best, and, judging by the warm reception at its London premiere, the new work was a success, with one reviewer calling it “one of the greatest works of its class produced in the present generation.”

But not all reviews were glowing. Another wrote, “the entire work is painted grey on grey: it lacks sweetness of melody and lightness of style.” And Dvorak’s German publisher complained that big symphonies were not profitable and advised Dvorak write only shorter piano pieces that had a ready market.

But subsequent performances helped establish the new symphony as the masterwork it is, and although not as often-played as his “New World” Symphony, today Dvorak’s Seventh ranks among his finest creations.

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) Scherzo (3rd mvt), from Symphony No. 7 in d, Op. 70 Berlin Philharmonic; Rafael Kubelik, conductor. DG 463158-2