Overview

Dvořák’s goal for his Symphony No. 7, here conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, was to surpass all of his previous efforts. Grand, gloomy, and dramatic, it contains few of the Slavic folk–derived, nationalistic elements associated with the composer. The influence of Brahms—particularly his recent Third Symphony, which impressed Dvořák as the finest symphony ever written—permeates the four movements. Mozart’s exuberant and expressive Piano Concerto No. 9 represented a great leap forward in ambition and achievement alike. The young Canadian soloist Jan Lisiecki interprets what legendary pianist Alfred Brendel called “one of the greatest wonders of the world.”