Dvorak 9 Symphony

This long-term edition of symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák, performed by the Bamberger Symphoniker led by their chief conductor Jakub Hrůša, springs from a wish to stimulate a deliberate, interiorized and unbiased listening experience. Associating these two Romantic geniuses, bound by a unique friendship, in one edition enables a new viewpoint. It immediately becomes apparent that the two last symphonies of Brahms and Dvořák have more than their key in common - yet this also illuminates their differences.

Janacek & Dvorak - Sinfonietta & Symphony From The New World - Anima Eterna Brugge (2015) {Alpha 206 Official Digital Download}
FLAC (tracks) - 44kHz/16 bit - Official Digital Download (qobuz.com) -> 360 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 200 Mb | Artwork (pdf+jpg) | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music | Alpha 206
Classical / Romantic / Orchestral / Symphony

Two glorious Czech masterpieces are presented on this 2014 release from Alpha, performed on period instruments by the exceptional Anima Eterna Brugge, directed by Jos van Immerseel. Considering that Antonín Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World" was completed in 1893, and Leos Janácek's Sinfonietta dates from 1926, and the period instruments movement mostly has been concerned with Baroque and Classical era works, original instrumentation might strike some listeners as odd. Yet performances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries called for instruments that differ substantially in construction and tone quality from modern models, and the variety of timbres was much greater with handmade instruments than the homogenized sounds of today's mass-produced woodwinds and brass.

The world-renowned Wiener Philharmoniker, under the masterful direction of Herbert von Karajan, presents a stunning album featuring two beloved works by Czech composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana. Dvořák's iconic "Symphonie No. 9 »Aus Der Neuen Welt = From The New World = Du Nouveau Monde«" showcases the composer's signature blend of Bohemian folk melodies and lush Romantic harmonies. Meanwhile, Smetana's "Moldau" takes listeners on a picturesque journey through the Czech countryside, evoking the beauty and majesty of the famous river. With the perfect combination of virtuosity and emotion, this album is a must-have for any classical music lover.

The Claudio Abbado recording of the Dvorak New World Symphony has managed to secure itself a place among the top digital versions of this much-recorded work, alongside the Dresden performance of James Levine, also on DG. Taken from live performances in 1997, it shows every sign of spontaniety without any loss of dramatic bite or xxcitement. Abbado makes full use of his theatrical background to bring about this effect both in the symphony and in the welcome, perfectly-chosen fill-up, and elicits peerless and attentively-detailed playing from the Berliners.

The 7th installment of the live concert series "Belle ame'', a project of the Spectrum Sound label and using sound sources provided by the French National Audiovisual Institute, is a 1959 concert performed by the Orchester National Radio de France, conducted by Constantin Silvestri. From the live performance in February, Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19 with Clara Haskil as soloist, Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun", and Ravel This is "Bolero''.

This is a fine Testament release taken from the archives of Netherlands Radio and enshrines some magnificent Barbirolli performances in somewhat opaque sound. The Satie Gymnopedie's have a delicate and loving sound that reveal Sir John's deep and intrinsic love for the miniaturistic charm of these enchanting pieces. Britten's 'Sinfonia da Requiem' was another Barbirolli speciality and this is one of many recordings available. However it is intriguing to observe the special attention and alertness that the Concertgebouw players impart to the music that takes on an added grandeur. However it is the Dvořák Seventh that is the real highlight of the disc as it is a version to die for! Sir John handles the music with real imagery and heart-on-sleeve emotion that almost rivals Kertész and Sejna, my other preferred versions in this landmark work.

This live double CD of Antonin Dvorák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" and the Cello Concerto may put listeners in two minds. On one hand, it's hard to fault Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia for the refreshing interpretations and precise musical execution in both performances, and cellist Mario Brunello is exceptionally dramatic and vivid in his solo turn at the concerto. On the other, a veritable plague of sound defects seems to have descended on these recordings, largely from the close microphone placement that picks up every random noise from the musicians, as well as the general rustling one expects of a concert audience.

In the 1980's, conductor Neeme Jarvi recorded the nine Dvorak symphonies with the Scottish National Symphony for Chandos. Most of the recordings have received favorable reviews, and some critics believe the cycle established Jarvi the interpreter of Dvorak's music. While I do not own all the recordings in the series and for that reason cannot compare it to other Dvorak recordings by Jarvi, I can say it is an excellent recording and one of my favorites in my collection (consisting of nearly 800 recordings). It begins with the tone poem "The Noon Witch." It is a musical telling of a story similar to "Hansel and Gretel" and Dvorak cleverly uses different instruments and themes to tell the story.

The Scottish National Orchestra with Neeme Jarvi has traversed the entire Dvorak symphonic oeuvre with wonderful success. Jarvi brings a sense of live and vitality to each symphony and the orchestra responds wonderfully. Jarvi's rendition of the 5th is, at least in my opinion, the most convincing in the series. The playing is spectacular; the Scottish National Orchestra brings a beauty of phrasing that complements this symphony well. Of equal power and beauty is the Water Goblin, which Jarvi undoubtedly champions. This is a wonderful CD. S

This disc, particularly well recorded in 1986, brings one of the best versions of the symphony coupled with an equally fine delivery of one of the finest for the late symphonic poems. Symphonic is the key word here as this symphony is the most non-nationalist symphony in the Dvorak canon and is without much doubt the most purely symphonic creation as well as being the most tautly argued and dramatic of the nine symphonies. Jarvi's style of conducting these symphonies is to take a straight view and play them very much as Dvorak wrote them. There are therefore no undue changes of tempi, either slowing down to underline climaxes or speeding up to create artificial excitement.