Over the course of his lifetime, Dvořák made nine visits to England, often to lead performances of his music, which was extremely popular in that country. His 1890 Requiem was the fruit of this strong relationship with the English musical community: commissioned by the Birmingham Festival, the work was composed for concert performance at the Festival. With an unusual structure including movements not usually part of the traditional requiem mass, the Requiem is one of Dvořák's most intellectually profound works. The piece received its premiere on October 9, 1891 in Birmingham, England with Dvořák himself at the baton, and was soon celebrated by critics as one of the most powerful settings of the Mass for the Dead ever written.