Dvorak's Den

[Brian]

Visions of Kimi: I'm waiting!

Anyone know the Requiem at all? Opinions?  Cocktail recipes?

I'm fairly confident I have that recording... yet haven't listened to it in several years.  A weekend project perhaps?

[Sergeant Rock]

Visions of Kimi: I'm waiting!

Anyone know the Requiem at all? Opinions?  Cocktail recipes?

I only have the Kertesz/LSO and it's a fine one. Gramophone says:

"The hero of the occasion is Kertesz. He gets choral singing and orchestral playing of the finest quality from the Ambrosian Singers and the London Symphony Orchestra. It is abundantly evident that he cherishes a great love for this work. His tremendous vitality and care for balance disguise Dvorak's occasional obsession with one figure of accompaniment, repeated bar after bar, as in "Dies irae" and "Tuba mirum". He drives along the not very interesting fugue, "Quam ohm Abrahae", with the greatest vigour but is not able to reconcile me to its repetition after "Hostias". The prime inspiration of the score is the leading motif heard at the start and used in various guises and tonal colourings with much imagination all through. Kertesz, without over emphasising it, realises to the full its importance in unifying the Requiem, and in underlining the words to which it is allied in so many of the movements.

The big climaxes are thrilling and altogether Kertesz and his forces make one revise one's qualified view of the work to a very large extent. This is certainly the finest performance of it that I have ever heard. A.R."

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, Sarge!

[Karl Henning]

I'm fairly confident I have that recording... yet haven't listened to it in several years.  A weekend project perhaps?

At your convenience, dear chap.  I may not get to that version included in the concertos box, myself, this side of Independence Day.

[Opus106]

Big thanks to Nav for the pointer: the Boston band sound terrific in this recording, Slava is (as ever) great, and Ozawa is playing to his strength here.  Come to think of it, wherever I have a recording which is conducted by Ozawa, the rep is Russian . . . .

Atonement. 0:) (Or at least half of it; we still haven't heard from Jeffrey.)

[Opus106]

Independence Day.

Henceforth to be known as Higgs Day!

[kishnevi]

Atonement. 0:) (Or at least half of it; we still haven't heard from Jeffrey.)

Oh, Jeffrey is quite content.  Even if Slava somehow fails (and it seems rather unlikely),  this will be my only recording of the Requiem and the Wind Serenade, and it's got the Harnoncourt Dances, so it's bound to be worthwile. 

Or, to paraphrase the Gospels.  "Go and sin some more".

[Opus106]

Oh, Jeffrey is quite content.  Even if Slava somehow fails (and it seems rather unlikely),  this will be my only recording of the Requiem and the Wind Serenade, and it's got the Harnoncourt Dances, so it's bound to be worthwile. 

Or, to paraphrase the Gospels.  "Go and sin some more".

[madaboutmahler]

Just listened to this recording of the Cello Concerto:



ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!  0:)

A really excellent recording, full of excitement and lyrical beauty. Schiff a cellist I have high expectations for (since his Elgar CC with Elder became my favourite for that piece) and I was not let down. His virtuosity and poetical playing was just incredible here, what a wonderful tone! Really great playing from the VPO, Previn clearly loving it all, very well controlled.

Incredibly recommended! 

[Madiel]

Just started listening to the string quartets, courtesy of the Prague Quartet.

Started, not terribly adventurously, with No.1.  Very tuneful...

Does anyone know of any good resources for reading more about the quartets?  Can read to death about the 'American', obviously, and perhaps a couple of others, but quite keen to read more about the early ones as well.  The essay in the box is quite good but always hungry for more.

[CriticalI]

Does anyone know of any good resources for reading more about the quartets?  Can read to death about the 'American', obviously, and perhaps a couple of others, but quite keen to read more about the early ones as well.  The essay in the box is quite good but always hungry for more.

I had one of the Naxos releases by the Vlach Quartet, which had pretty good notes, which you can probably access on the Naxos site.

[Brian]

I had one of the Naxos releases by the Vlach Quartet, which had pretty good notes, which you can probably access on the Naxos site.

Yep! Finding the Naxos listing for each CD in the series turns up notes on the other quartets.

[Rinaldo]

Might be old news, but I just stumbled across a report that Belohlavek has started a symphonic cycle for Decca. It's being recorded live with the Czech Philharmonic.

[Mirror Image]

I've been slowly getting back into ol' Antonin. A mighty good composer he was. I've been listening to the symphonic poems and right now I'm listening to Harnoncourt's performance of Symphony No. 9 "From the New World. Simply scintillating performance. I really admire all of the Harnoncourt Dvorak performances. His Slavonic Dances are excellent too. I've also been listening to Mackerras who is another fine Dvorak conductor. Kubelik and Kertesz also remain strong favorites.

[Daverz]

Some stand-out recordings of the symphonies:

6 - Rowicki
7 & 8 - Szell/Sony
9 - Kertesz/VPO (perhaps a sentimental favorite; you can get this coupled with a wonderful recording of the Wind Serenade)

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[madaboutmahler]

I've been slowly getting back into ol' Antonin. A mighty good composer he was. I've been listening to the symphonic poems and right now I'm listening to Harnoncourt's performance of Symphony No. 9 "From the New World. Simply scintillating performance. I really admire all of the Harnoncourt Dvorak performances. His Slavonic Dances are excellent too. I've also been listening to Mackerras who is another fine Dvorak conductor. Kubelik and Kertesz also remain strong favorites.

Great to hear, John. Dvorak is a very special composer for me as he played a massive part in the evolution of my love for music. A massive thumbs up for the Harnoncourt Slavonic Dances, one of my favourite cds! Must listen to his symphony recordings at some point!

[Leo K.]

I've been slowly getting back into ol' Antonin. A mighty good composer he was. I've been listening to the symphonic poems and right now I'm listening to Harnoncourt's performance of Symphony No. 9 "From the New World. Simply scintillating performance. I really admire all of the Harnoncourt Dvorak performances. His Slavonic Dances are excellent too. I've also been listening to Mackerras who is another fine Dvorak conductor. Kubelik and Kertesz also remain strong favorites.

Me too, and in my case I want to hear Dvorak beyond the hits, and finally hear his chamber music, as a newbie, I've aquired these sets:

[mc ukrneal]

Me too, and in my case I want to hear Dvorak beyond the hits, and finally hear his chamber music, as a newbie, I've aquired these sets:

If you are looking for something a bit different:

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This is so good (and is two pianos). Legends is also in orchestral form (fantastic - I have Mackerras, great, but that is OOP I believe). This Naxos disc brings out all the stops for me and is extremely well played. This is Sunday morning listening for me (of the best kind).

If you like chamber, the piano quintets and piano trios are wonderful as well.

[Lisztianwagner]

I've been slowly getting back into ol' Antonin. A mighty good composer he was. I've been listening to the symphonic poems and right now I'm listening to Harnoncourt's performance of Symphony No. 9 "From the New World. Simply scintillating performance. I really admire all of the Harnoncourt Dvorak performances. His Slavonic Dances are excellent too. I've also been listening to Mackerras who is another fine Dvorak conductor. Kubelik and Kertesz also remain strong favorites.

Kubelik and Kertesz are also my favourite interpreters of Dvořák's music, along with Pesek and Karajan for Symphonies No.8 & 9 and the Cello Concerto. I agree about the Harnoncourt Dvořák Slavonic Dances, it's a beautiful, gorgeous recording; I haven't listened to his performances of the symphonies, but those ones of the symphonic poems and the Piano Concerto with Aimard are absolutely good.

[Mirror Image]

Kubelik and Kertesz are also my favourite interpreters of Dvořák's music, along with Pesek and Karajan for Symphonies No.8 & 9 and the Cello Concerto. I agree about the Harnoncourt Dvořák Slavonic Dances, it's a beautiful, gorgeous recording; I haven't listened to his performances of the symphonies, but those ones of the symphonic poems and the Piano Concerto with Aimard are absolutely good.

Agreed on all points except that I don't think highly of Karajan's Dvorak, although his Cello Concerto recording with Rostropovich is certainly one for the books.