Dvorak Järvi

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.

Born in Tallinn in 1962, Paavo Järvi is renowned for his dynamic interpretations and innovative programming. He has held prominent positions with leading orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, or the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich more recently. Paavo Järvi's approach combines technical precision with expressive depth, making him a favourite among musicians and audiences alike.

Born in Tallinn in 1962, Paavo Järvi is renowned for his dynamic interpretations and innovative programming. He has held prominent positions with leading orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, or the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich more recently. Paavo Järvi's approach combines technical precision with expressive depth, making him a favourite among musicians and audiences alike.

This whopping 40-disc set, which sells for very little, contains familiar performances of the major works, and most of them are quite good. Symphonies Nos. 1-7 feature Kosler and the Slovak Philharmonic–not a first-class orchestra, but a fine conductor who gets the ensemble to play idiomatically and well. The Eighth is Menuhin's (not bad), the Ninth Paavo Järvi's (quite good). The concertos come from Vox and feature Firkusny (piano), Nelsova (cello), and Ricci (violin).

Pairing the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the Victor Herbert Second Cello Concerto is not a new idea (Yo-Yo Ma has the same coupling), but it is a good one. A friend of Dvořák known primarily as a composer of operettas (42 altogether, the best known of which is Babes in Toyland), Herbert wrote for several genres, including film music as early as 1916. His Second Cello Concerto inspired Dvorak to try his hand at a similar work, and the orchestration of the Herbert, which includes three trombones, gave him some ideas on scoring. Gautier Capucon and Paavo Järvi give the Herbert a well-paced reading, spirited in its outer movements and deeply heartfelt in its central andante. It is the kind of performance that can make a listener wonder why this piece has been relatively neglected. However, the Dvořák will be the main reason for many people to get this disc…

Dvořák’s Stabat Mater was a work brought about by personal tragedy of almost incomprehensible proportions, after the composer lost all three of his then living children. A setting of the mediaeval Latin prayer to the bereaved mother of the crucified Christ, it was to become both a work of mourning and a work of healing. The shifts of mood from grief and near despair to hope and faith run throughout the work, before the glory and solace of the final Amen. Neeme Järvi conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in this live concert recording.

The Dvorák Cello Concerto has become one of the most iconic concertos in the instrument's repertoire, having been recorded (often more than once) by the vast majority of cellists who typically perform concertos. With so many recordings out there, it's difficult for new recordings and new cellists to distinguish themselves. Cellist Gautier Capuçon, in this album for Virgin Classics, throws his hat into the ring along with Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. There is no denying Capuçon's impressive technical abilities; his intonation is impeccable, he maneuvers around the fingerboard with impressive ease, and his tone is rich but transparent.