Dvorak's Den

[Madiel]

I think that, to a degree, that may be a function of how far back we go with the listening.  I.e., I found a challenge likewise in the work of Haydn.  Or rather, the "sameness" was the barrier decades ago (and my native fondness for newer music, with its frequent emphasis on contrast, inclined me to dismiss music of "sameness");  but now that I listen to Haydn better, and give him his time and attention, I enjoy the variety of content without knocking my shins against the rhetorical "sameness."  Make any sense?

Absolutely.

Don't get me wrong, it's not as if I'm listening to each piece and thinking "ho hum, they're all the same". (Also Brian, none of these are quite first listens, though in a lot of cases this is only the second "session", the first having been when I first purchased a disc.)

What I mean is that there is an overall consistency of the mood it generates, and indeed a consistency in the music. Which is not, um... the same as a general sameness. As I'm listening to an individual work, I am very much enjoying that specific work.

And some pieces do stand out from the pack, e.g. as I think I mentioned along the way I was specifically looking forward to revisiting the Piano Trio No.3 and String Quartet No.13 because both of them had made more specific impressions.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to start cracking this disc open...

[asin]B00008Y4II[/asin]

[Gurn Blanston]

It makes sense to me, and I think orfeo will most definitely catch up with us as he becomes more familiar with Dvorak's music. After all, he's talking about first impressions of stuff we've probably heard 50+ times. Even so, orfeo has already managed - with amazing conciseness - to precisely capture just why I love Dvorak so much:

(On my favorites list, Dvorak is still #2 only to Beethoven himself.)

Of what I call 'modern composers', that is, post-Beethoven, Dvorak has always been #1, and will likely continue in that role, and for all the reasons which Karl, you and Orfeo have described. I once, famously, stirred things up here by calling Dvorak the 'Last of the Great Composers'. Meant it then; actually, now, it would require some qualification, but not because he has diminished in my view, only that I have since broadened somewhat.  0:)

[PerfectWagnerite]

Of what I call 'modern composers', that is, post-Beethoven, Dvorak has always been #1, and will likely continue in that role, and for all the reasons which Karl, you and Orfeo have described. I once, famously, stirred things up here by calling Dvorak the 'Last of the Great Composers'. Meant it then; actually, now, it would require some qualification, but not because he has diminished in my view, only that I have since broadened somewhat.  0:)

Thank you Gurn, I feel the same way. To paraphrase Sir Charles MacKerras Dvorak wrote in pretty much every single genre and he excelled in every single one of them. That by itself places him right up there as an all-time great.

[jlaurson]

Speaking of Kertesz... The ionarts Survey of Dvořák Symphony Cycles
has been updated with the new editions of the classic Kertesz & Kubelik sets. Kubelik's layout improved, Kertesz' worsened.

[Mirror Image]

Frankly, I'm surprised to see Dvorak have only 21 pages of commentary (so far). Thanks for your contributions everyone.

On topic...

Dvorak Supraphon pileup:







And I'm looking forward to every minute of exploration.

For anyone who owns any of these sets, I'd love to read your thoughts about the music, the performances, audio quality, presentation of the box sets, etc. Dvorak has always been a composer in the back of my mind that I've never forgotten about because each time I hear his music I find so much to get lost in and be instantly enchanted by. Thanks in advance!

[Mirror Image]

I wonder if our resident Dvorakian, Brian, has any thoughts on these Supraphon box sets I bought?

[Brian]

I wonder if our resident Dvorakian, Brian, has any thoughts on these Supraphon box sets I bought?

I own 3 of 6 (Sacred Works, Symphonic Works [dark purple not light purple], and Chamber Works I. Eventually I'll own all six (you skipped the piano box). The Chamber Works disc with the string quintet op. 77 and Sextet must be one of my most-played CDs ever. There's not a single dud anywhere, though. Presentation - the CDs come in those cheap-o paper sleeves, but the booklets are quality, with detailed track lists, and the boxes themselves feel like they'll last a long time. I have not yet checked the PDF of sung texts in the Sacred Works box.

[Madiel]

Eventually I'll own all six (you skipped the piano box).

Oh Brian, you'll lose credibility with statements like that. There are seven boxes.

[mc ukrneal]

Oh Brian, you'll lose credibility with statements like that. There are seven boxes.

String Quartets -one of the best of the lot...

[Mirror Image]

Oh Brian, you'll lose credibility with statements like that. There are seven boxes.

Indeed, he forgot that rather cool looking Panocha box. The complete SQs.

[Mirror Image]

I own 3 of 6 (Sacred Works, Symphonic Works [dark purple not light purple], and Chamber Works I. Eventually I'll own all six (you skipped the piano box). The Chamber Works disc with the string quintet op. 77 and Sextet must be one of my most-played CDs ever. There's not a single dud anywhere, though. Presentation - the CDs come in those cheap-o paper sleeves, but the booklets are quality, with detailed track lists, and the boxes themselves feel like they'll last a long time. I have not yet checked the PDF of sung texts in the Sacred Works box.

Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, Supraphon usually does a good job with their booklets. I figured they'd go with the paper sleeves, though, but this doesn't bother me in the slightest. In many instances, I prefer them to the cardboard sleeves, which make it difficult to get the CDs out sometimes. Here I'm mainly thinking of those 'Collectors Edition' DG sets like this one:



What makes these DG sets particularly interesting is the slit they made is not from the side of the cardboard sleeve, but from the top making it a tighter squeeze than if the slit were on the side.

[Brian]

Oh Brian, you'll lose credibility with statements like that. There are seven boxes.

Dangit!!

[Mirror Image]

Despite a bit of an audio constraint in Neumann's earlier Dvorak set on Supraphon, this is turning out to be an outstanding cycle. The performances sound quite genuine, warm, and passionate. Since I already know Symphonies 7-9, I'm acquainting myself with Symphonies 1-6 and finding that he's just as inspired as he was in those later symphonies. What's going to be nice is when I start exploring all of these chamber works, sacred/choral works, and other orchestral works, but I'm not going to jump ahead of myself here. I'm just basking in the wondrous sonorities of one of Bohemia's finest.

[Mirror Image]

Kubelik, Järvi, Mack, great indeed--but definitive Dvorak? I prefer Harnoncourt's recordings of the tone poems. He defines definitive for me 

Sarge

Harnoncourt is indeed great. He really nailed those symphonic poems. I wish he had conducted the entire symphony cycle with the Concertgebouw, though. That would have been incredible.

[Mirror Image]

I'll have to add my own enthusiasm for Neumann's set of symphonic poems as well. Passionately performed and rhythmically taut performances.

[Mirror Image]

For anyone who hasn't been to Dvorak's website please do so, loads of valuable information there:

http://www.antonin-dvorak.cz/en/life

[Mirror Image]

The Water Goblin (Vodník), Op. 107



The first three of Antonín Dvorák's five orchestral tone poems were put to paper in rapid succession during early 1896. Each of these three, and for that matter the fourth (which followed after an interval of several months), takes a poem by Karel Jaromír Erben as its dramatic basis; in the case of Dvorák's virgin effort in the territory, that poem is Vodník, or, the Water Goblin. The tone poem The Water Goblin, Op. 106, composed between the first week of January and the second week of February, was not the first of this initial threesome of tone poems to be performed -- The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op. 109, has that honor -- but it certainly didn't have to wait very long for its own premiere: on November 21, 1896 it was played by a London orchestra led by Henry Wood (not yet Sir).

Dvorák treats Erben's poem in what amounts to a rondo form, somewhat modified from the standard layout. The cruel Water Goblin is introduced in the opening Allegro vivo. We learn of a maiden and her mother in a rich Andante sostenuto. The Allegro vivo music bursts forth again as the Water Goblin snatches the poor maiden up and transports her down to his lair underneath the lake. As the unfortunate captive suffers we are provided a painfully chromatic Andante mesto come prima; she sings a lullaby (Un poco più lento e molto tranquillo), and finally convinces the Water Goblin -- now in fact her husband -- to let her go and visit her mother one last time. Her homecoming is a sad one indeed: the daughter's own child (sired by the Water Goblin) has remained down under the lake to ensure her return, and she has but one day to spend with her mother above. Still, there is real warmth to the B major Lento assai of their reunion; hardly any time has passed, however, before the Allegro vivo announces the arrival of the Water Goblin to take back his captive bride. The mother turns him away, and, true to his cruel word, he sends them the decapitated body of the daughter's child. Here the poem ends, but not the music: a grim timpani roll ushers in an Andante sostenuto coda -- music absolutely frozen with horror.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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What does everyone think of this masterpiece? I think I already mentioned how much I love it, but it's always good to get some background to the work. Any favorite performances?

[Madiel]

For anyone who hasn't been to Dvorak's website please do so, loads of valuable information there:

http://www.antonin-dvorak.cz/en/life

It really is a fabulous website. One of the best composer ones that I've come across.

[Mirror Image]

It really is a fabulous website. One of the best composer ones that I've come across.

It certainly is. I've been reading all kinds of stuff like a madman.

[king ubu]

this one just arrived: