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Tarfumes.com - Dvorák: Symphonie No. 9; Smetana: Moldau
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List Price: $16.98
Our Price: $16.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0028943900928
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon
Release Date: 1993-10-12
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: sara jane
Comment: It's a good solid performance of both the New World symphony and the Moldau, my criticism is with the recording itself. The opening of the first movement is so quiet that in order to hear it you have to crank the volume. Then of course it gets very loud, very fast -- nearly blowing out the speakers. I got it for the Moldau. (Honestly, if I had remembered this problem, I would have got a different recording altogether.)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Karajan lovingly shapes his third "New World"
Comment: I hear something special in Karajan's late recordings with the Vienna Phil., an orchestra that brought out the most affectionate detail and sunniest mood in him. Besides this "New World," his third in the modern era, there's an inspiring Dvorak 8th, the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies, and legendary valedictory readings of the Bruckner Seventh and Eighth. The conductor wasn't to die for another four years when this "New World" was made, so we can't call it a farewell, and it's by no means as dreamy and laid back as the 8th from Vienna. Even so, it holds its own fascinaiton simply because of where it falls in Karajan's whole career.
As remastered, the mid-eighties digital sound has been tamed, but you need to be prepared for some snarling brass climaxes. The edges here are rougher than in Karajan's previous version on DG, from 1964. That one has reappeared in great sound on a two-fer in the Karajan Forever series (he never minded adulation, but outright idolarty seems excessive). Tempos are a fraction slower in the first movement from Vienna and a fraction faster in the Largo, but the overall interpretation remaines much as it was decades before. You'll hear extra lilt from the Viennese strings -- how could they not provide that? -- and tastier, less suave woodwind playing. The reedy quality of the English horn in the Largo falls nicely on the ear.
But don't expect rusticity or a special Czech flavor; this is big-city, echt Deautsche music-making. The Scherzo keeps up the prevailing strength of the whole reading (i.e., it's not dance-like), and the finale is robust and direct without bending over backwards to deliver a knockout punch. In the end, the recorded sound is bettter than on Kertesz's "New World" form Vienna in the Sixties, and the interpretation is at least as strong as Kondrashin's, also from Vienna on Decca. The CD is filled out with Smetana's Moldau, not exactly a rarity but welcome for the gorgeous, bubbling freshness of the orchestra's tone and for Karajan's suprisingly dreamy way with the score. You'd never guess that this is a warhorse.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beautiful melodies
Comment: I'm obviously not as "into" classical music as I should be as I wasn't familiar with The New World Symphony until I happened to hear the National Symphony perform it in March 2007. But it's a beautiful piece of music with not one, but several, beautiful melodic lines that I recognized, but hadn't previously associated with this piece of music. "Oh, that's from the New World Symphony!" It's gorgeous stuff.
One thing that's sort of interesting about this symphony is that Dvorak doesn't repeat his melodic themes very often. There are some beautiful strains, but you'd best catch them when they arise because he clearly doesn't have a lot of repeats built into the score. On the plus side, this characteristic of the music encourages re-playing the CD.
Let me also say a few words about Smetana's "Moldau." This CD is more expensive than some other "New World" CDs, but I think it's worth the price premium due to "Moldau." "Moldau" is, as I understand it, the national song of the Czech Republic. It's a lovely tune, you can almost hear the river flowing through Prague.
I've found myself playing this CD a lot, which is the ultimate testimony to its virtues.
Customer Rating:
Summary: top notch
Comment: The Smetana on this CD was the highpoint for me. The Dvorak is a great work and I have heard many excellent productions of it. This one is very enjoyable and the sound is fabulous. All soloists are clearly heard and the stereo image is great. The surprise for me was the Smetana which it turns out is a lovely piece of music played and recorded beautifully here. The beginning in which he tries to reproduce the movement of water in a stream is captivating. That is followed by one of the more hummable tunes I have encountered in music. Recommended highly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent recording and a fine effort by old man Karajan
Comment: I don't need to tell you anything about the music, you'd have to have lived in a cave for your entire life to have never heard this. A few points on the performance - excellent pacing, great sound and the brass in the final movement is room-shaking. A great version for sure, with the added bonus of Smetana's Die Moldau from his symphonic poem, Ma Vlast. Kubelik's and Kertesz's readings of the 9th are probably better and more individualistic, but in terms of sonics this recording blows those out of the water. Expensive but worth every penny.
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