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Reviews: Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, Tchaikovsky: Overture "Romeo and Juliet" - Kreizberg

Reviews: 3

Review by Dinko November 2, 2003 (5 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I find there is only one problem with this disc: Yakov Kreizberg.
Maestro Kreizberg's tempi seem so erratic as to become a significant annoyance. The faster elements are quite exciting, appropriately stopping short of being too fast. The slower elements however often become tedious. So much so, I'm tempted to pick up a pencil in one hand and conduct using the "Fast Forward" button in the other. The combination of fast/slow creates a frustrating, jarring performance. Not just in the Dvorak, but in the Tchaikovsky as well.

Praise goes to the orchestra for keeping up with Mr. Kreizberg's fluctuations. Though even without Kreizberg's constant manipulations, the orchestra would deserve congratulations on their excellent performance.

Sonically, the disc is beyond any reproach.
In stereo, there is ample detail, good balance between instruments, and dynamic range just wide enough to permit lower and higher volume levels without the need to constantly adjust the volume knob.
The multichannel soundstage is wider than the stereo, and the instruments do not lose their precision. So while it retains the instruments' focus, the multichannel program adds a very successful surround ambience to the recording.
In both stereo and multichannel, percussion during the Tchaikovsky piece has massive impact, less so in the Dvorak.

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Review by audiofiloitaliano March 18, 2005 (4 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Music first:
Interesting performances of very often played masterworks. Karajan and Bernstein in these pieces are in a class of their own, but we can still recommend these Pentatone recordings. The "tempo" fluctuations lamented elsewhere are part of a personal approach of the conductor. I wouldn't be disappointed even after several listenings.
Sonics:
as usual Pentatone has provided some of the best multichannel recording of orchestral music. This is the gender which makes the difference. Remastering of old commercial pop in multichannel is pretty useless. I agree that in Dvorak "percussion is less impressive". In fact the New World Symphony has only kettledrums in its score, whilst the Romeo and Juliet also includes Bass Drum and very effective cymbals clashes.

marco (audiofiloitaliano)

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Review by Windsurfer May 12, 2006 (10 of 10 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
This review is of the Dvorak. I never had much interest in this particular Tchaikovsky. Maybe I ought to listen to this performance of it at least once!

I've had this for several months. I think the Dvorak is an inspired and beautiful performance. The first movement is sensitively played with just the hint of a slow-down at the entrance of the flute solo. (a very subtle tempo shift compared with that of Paavo Jarvi).

There is great drama in the phrasing throughout the entire symphony without sacrifice of the lyrical. The second movement is sensous, even rapturous - despite the source of the tune. The third and fourth are also rich and exciting.

As is ususal with PentaTone the sound alone is worth the price of the disc. I particularly like the fact that throughout the most huge fortes, the individual timbres of the instruments are distictive. Trumpet and strings playing the same notes do not (as in most cases) degenerate into one melded noise.

Speaking of the strings, they produce some of the most melliflous playing I have heard anywhere! Woodwinds and brass also deserve special accolades. Yes, I have heard other flutes I like perhaps a little better, but not clarinet, oboe or english horn. The fact that I can make such distinctions of timbre during tuttis of great power is an indicator of how fine PentaTone's sound is.

This is a great disc! I recommend it over any other Dvorak New World out there.

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