Symphony Concert N° 2

When Édouard Lalo’s concerto »Symphonie Espagnole« was premiered in 1874, violinist Pablo de Sarasate, for whom the work was written, was certain that »no other composition better demonstrates the capabilities of the violin«. The concerto, which is infused with Spanish rhythms, is a prime example of the Romantic era’s love of exoticism and the desire to incorporate folkloric sounds from other cultures. Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, on the other hand, which was completed eleven years later, is a rigorous work that reflects the composer’s inner conflict in the struggle to reconcile his Czech cultural origins with the demands of the classical symphonic tradition.