Brahms’s letter became a turning point in Dvořák’s career. Obviously, Simrock was convinced and Dvořák’s music began to be published and performed throughout Europe in a very short time. By his 40s, his music was being heard both at home and abroad. In 1882, his tragic grand opera Dimitrij was a success at home in Prague. Subsequently, he was invited by the Philharmonic Society of London to conduct performances of his works in England in 1883. The British audience loved his music, demonstrating special enthusiasm for his Stabat Mater and Symphony No. 6 (which had been promoted and published as Symphony No. 1). This resulted in commissions for a choral work from the Birmingham Festival (The Spectre’s Bride) and Symphony No. 7 in D minor
