MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2023
Approaching 60,000 reviews
and more.. and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

CD REVIEW



Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

alternatively AmazonUK

 

 

Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Symphonies: No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 (1885) [38:48]; No. 8 in G, Op. 88 (1888) [36:18]
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Václav Talich
rec. Abbey Road Studio No. 1, 23 November 1938 (No. 7); 23, 28 November 1935 (No. 8) ADD.
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111045 [73:06] 

 


These are simply marvellous accounts of two of Dvořák's most popular symphonies. Mark Obert-Thorn is both Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer and has done a simply wonderful job of  transferring the HMV DBs. Thinness of string sound is kept to a minimum. 

I heard a performance of the Seventh here in London with the LPO and Marin Alsop which bordered on the lacklustre. Nothing of the sort could be levelled at Talich and his forces. The pacing of the first movement is excellently judged, bringing with it just the right amount of drama. Interestingly shades of Elgar make themselves known; and yet when it comes to the second movement it is straight, and unmistakably, to the Bohemian forests. Listen out for the astonishingly lonely oboe solo around 8:19. There is a real Czech energy to the Scherzo before the finale squeezes itself onto the scene. Whereas in Alsop's hands this seemed a movement full of longueurs, with Talich the tension never flags for a second, and the coda positively blazes. 

The Eighth's opening glows in a way few others do, no matter what the recording date. The glow seems both internal and external in a movement that oozes easy melody. Woodwind sing of the Czech countryside, and yet Talich still manages to conjure up near-Wagnerian drama from his heavy brass. 

Indeed, this is a reading of No. 8 that reaches to the extremes. From the drama of the Allegro con brio, Talich brings forth hushed pianissimi in the Adagio that are nothing short of miraculous. The third movement is perhaps a touch slower than usual, yet Talich makes its easy-going nature feel just right. The call-to-arms that heralds the finale ushers in a drama of almost operatic proportions. starting from a cello tune moulded with what can only be described as paternal care by Talich. Only one quibble – the famous horn trills, surely Mahlerian in nature, are all but inaudible. But surely this is cancelled out by the judicious use of string portamento, a lost tradition nowadays that one finds here in its most natural and unaffected form. It is true that some might find this Eighth a little 'pushed', a little relentless but personally I find it part of Talich's search for musical truth to highlight the grit at the heart of this sunniest of  Dvořák's symphonies. 

The learned and erudite booklet notes are by Tully Potter. It is difficult to find fault with an issue as consistent as this one, so it is just left for me to give my unqualified recommendation. 

Colin Clarke 

 


 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.