Make Music Part of our Life Series: Dvořák: Symphony No.8 – Harnoncourt/WPh(2004Live) A great playlist

[youtube.com/watch?v=r4WGBzmklf4&list=RDsXMRimMFV7M]
Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)
Symphony No.8 in G major, op.88
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Wiener Philharmoniker
Musikverein, Vienna, 26 9/2004

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Symphony No. 8
by Antonín Dvořák
Title page of the autograph score
Key	G major
Catalogue	Op. 88 B. 163
Style	Romantic
Composed	26 August 1889 – 8 November 1889 – Vysoká u Příbramě
Dedication	Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts
Published	1890
Movements	4
Premiere
Date	2 February 1890
Location	Prague
Conductor	Antonín Dvořák
Performers	Orchestra of the National Theatre

The Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, B. 163, is a symphony by Antonín Dvořák, composed in 1889 at Vysoká u Příbramě, Bohemia, on the occasion of his election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts. Dvořák conducted the premiere in Prague on 2 February 1890. In contrast to other symphonies of both the composer and the period, the music is cheerful and optimistic

The symphony is in four movements:

Allegro con brio (G major)
Adagio (C minor)
Allegretto grazioso – Molto vivace (G minor)
Allegro ma non troppo (G major)

The work is scored for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo)*, 2 oboes (1st doubling english horn)*, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings.^[1]

The orchestration of piccolo and English Horn is unusual in this symphony. The piccolo only sustains a long note in unison with the flute at the exposition of the 1st movement and the English Horn only plays a short, but exposed phrase during the second recapitulation of the main “bird call” theme, also in the 1st movement. In some editions the 2nd oboe doubles on English horn rather than the 1st oboe as indicated in most scores.