Dvorak Fischer

Dvorák’s Violin Concerto has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts on disc, one that it entirely deserves. Its critics (starting with Joachim and Brahms) dismissed it for not adopting the usual sonata-form first movement structure, instead welding the truncated opening to the gorgeous slow movement. But really, how many violin concertos are there where you can really say that the best, most characterful and highly developed movement is the finale? And what could possibly be bad about that? Clearly Fischer and Suwanai understand where the music’s going: the performance gathers steam as it proceeds, and really cuts loose in that marvelous last movement. Suwani displays a characteristically polished technique and fine intonational ear (lending a lovely purity of utterance to the slow movement), but she’s not afraid to indulge in some “down and dirty” gypsy fiddling in the finale, or in the two Sarasate items that open the program.

Joined by the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra and David Zinman, Fischer pairs the ever-popular Bruch concerto with Dvorák's undeservedly neglected but perennially fresh masterpiece - a rather more logical twinning than the ubiquitous Mendelssohn.

From the pastoral landscapes of Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 to the vibrant folk scenes of Strauss’ sound-poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche and Dvořak’s Violin Concerto, this Prom takes a vivid journey across Central Europe. At the BBC Proms 2014, the world’s largest classical music festival, David Zinman appeared in his final concert as chief conductor of Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, stepping down after almost 20 years.

Absolutely yummy! Brahms orchestrated only a handful of his ever-popular Hungarian Dances. His friend Dvorák did a few more, and the rest exist in a variety of versions by a variety of arrangers. Conductor Iván Fischer has undertaken this job himself in several cases, with really impressive results. His solos and cadenzas for traditional instruments (Gypsy fiddle and cimbalom) sound perfectly idiomatic and tasteful, and his conducting manages to put some of the paprika back into the music without ever making it sound vulgar or mannered.

In 1881 Antonin Dvorak composed a set of ten 'Legends' for piano duet, dedicating them to the influential music critic Eduard Hanslick, who at the time was serving with Johannes Brahms on a committee that awarded Austrian state stipends to young composers of worth. At Hanslick's suggestion, Dvorak introduced himself to Brahms. Brahms, in turn, introduced Dvorak to his publisher, and the rest is history. Dvorak submitted the 'Legends' to the publisher, Fritz Simrock, who eventually requested that Dvorak orchestrate five of them; the composer took up the challenge and in the end orchestrated the entire set.
Dvorak's 'Legends' are delicate pieces, filled with the folksy melodic touches that are constants in the composer's music. The 'Legends' are gentle in tone and touched with just a whisper of melancholy. The Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer has this music "in their blood" and their performances are clearly authoritative. The balance of the disc is filled out with other smaller-scale Dvorák works, the most notable of which is a set of five 'Prague Waltzes,' composed a year before the 'Legends.' Once again the orchestra plays with zest and elegance, making this a worthy addition to the Dvorák discography.

This fine recording of Dvorák's Cello Concerto by Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey with Hungarian conductor Iván Fischer leading the Budapest Festival Orchestra is as generous, honest, and compelling as the music itself. Wispelwey has a rich, ringing tone that can ride over orchestral tutti fortes yet still sound fully present in intimate pianissimos. He also has an elegant technique that can accomplish anything the work asks without calling undue attention to itself. These qualities allow him to lean into the work's powerful drama and aching lyricism without dividing his attention. The commanding Fischer leads the rich-toned Budapest Festival Orchestra in an accompaniment as musically interesting and dramatically significant as the solo part.

As orchestras and conductors have been demonstrating for more than a century, you don't have to be Bohemian to play Dvorák. All you need is profound musicality, a deep love of life, and an overwhelming urge to communicate. These are all qualities that Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra demonstrate in full in this 2000 Channel Classics recording of the composer's Eighth and Ninth symphonies. In these performances, one hears not only edge-of-the-chair excitement from the Hungarian musicians, one hears joy, happiness, and good old-fashioned fun. Listen to the rollicking horn trills in the Eighth's Finale, the thundering timpani in the Ninth's Scherzo; the interplay between winds, strings, and brass in the coda of the Eighth's Scherzo; the lush string tone in the Ninth's Largo; the headlong rush of the Eighth's opening Allegro con brio; or the awesome power of the Ninth's closing Allegro con fuoco.

One of the most prominent Hungarian conductors of his generation, Ivan Fischer has established a reputation in both Hungarian and Baroque music. His interpretations of works by Liszt, Bartók, and Kodály have achieved international acclaim, and his readings of Hungarian-inspired works, like the Brahms Hungarian Dances (in Fischer's own orchestration), have also received high praise.