Dvorak's 7th Symphony, commissioned by the London Philharmonic Society, was composed in 1885 and premiered a few weeks later at the St. James Hall in London. Widely regarded as Dvorak's greatest symphony, the 7th takes its inspiration from the struggle of the Czech people against political oppression from the Austrian Empire.
Musically, the 7th exhibits dramatic expressive content filled with struggle, uncertainty, and defiance. With the depiction of Czechs arriving at the Prague train station in the first movement, and the juxtaposition of a Viennese waltz with a Czech furiant in the third movement, the entire symphony is a metaphor for the political struggles between the Czechs and the Austrians. The finale is an intense struggle which only resolves to a major tonality at the very last moment, offering a glimmer of hope.
