Antonín Dvořák - Symphonic Poems (Charles Mackerras)

Information

Composer: Antonín Dvořák

1. The Water Goblin (Vodník), Op. 107
2. The Noon Witch (Polednice), Op. 108
3. The Golden Spinning Wheel (Zlatý kolovrat), Op.109
4. The Wild Dove (Holoubek), Op. 110

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Charles Mackerras, conductor

Date: 2008 (1,2), 2001 (3), 2009 (4)
Label: Supraphon
https://www.supraphon.com/album/648-dvorak-symphonic-poems

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 8

You won’t find better conducting in this music anywhere. Charles Mackerras finds so many wonderful details in these pieces that it’s impossible to list them all, and he does it at all tempos and dynamic levels. Listen to his subtle underlining of rhythm in The Wood Dove’s opening funeral march, and compare it to the unrivaled glitter of its central party music. Bask in the woodwind timbres at the opening of The Noonday Witch, and marvel at just how much music Mackerras finds even in the stormy climax of The Water Goblin. It’s an unalloyed delight from the first note to the last.

Of course, the Czech Philharmonic plays these pieces magnificently. The sonics, however, are not as brilliant as the performances, and that’s not unusual from this venue, with its somewhat cavernous acoustic. Slightly recessed brass and percussion lessen the impact of the climaxes somewhat, but it’s awfully hard to quibble when the interpretations are this strong. One programming note: The Golden Spinning Wheel was released previously, as the coupling to Mackerras’ equally sterling Dvorák Sixth Symphony, but the other three performances are new, and listeners may well prefer this selection (getting all four works on one disc also represents excellent value). Self-recommending. [3/17/2010]

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More info & reviews:

BBC Music Magazine PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****
MusicWeb International RECORDING OF THE MONTH
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/dvorak-symphonic-poems-0
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/04/dvorak-symphonic-poems-mackerras
https://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Symphonic-Poems-Opp-107/dp/B0032Z1IG0

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Antonín Dvořák (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer. He was the second Czech composer to achieve worldwide recognition, after Bedřich Smetana. Following Smetana's nationalist example, many of Dvořák's works show the influence of Czech folk music, such as his  two sets of Slavonic Dances, the Symphonic Variations, and the overwhelming majority of his songs. Dvořák wrote in a variety of forms: nine symphonies, ten operas, three concertos, several symphonic poems, serenades for string orchestra and wind ensemble, more than 40 works of chamber music, and piano music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k

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Charles Mackerras (17 November 1925 – 14 July 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Mackerras was known for his broad repertoire, expertise in Czech music, and use of period performance practices with modern orchestras. Mackerras recorded three Mahler symphonies and all of the symphonies of Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. His final recording was Suk's Asrael Symphony in 2007. His final public performance saw him conduct Così fan tutte at Glyndebourne in the summer of 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Mackerras

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