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Site review by akiralx June 24, 2008
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
Dvorak's darkest, and probably best, symphony - the Seventh, is here given a very intense performance by Macal. His direct way with Dvorak works better here than with his rather bland account of the New World, though I felt a little more flexibility would not have gone amiss.
He chooses some pretty fast tempi throughout which creates a sense of great momentum even if some of the warmth that others conductors have found is totally absent. His interpretation reminds me a little of Szell's, whose late 1950s version is one of the few misfires of his glorious Cleveland reign, clearly lacking the idiomatic approach which inspires Dorati's famous LSO recording, made a few years later.
The recording throughout the disc (I listened in stereo only via a Stax earspeaker system) is fine, well-detailed if close, giving suitable impact to Macal's vigorous view of the work. The wind, brass and timpani are well focused.
But the vivid sound coupled with the rather penny-plain, unrelenting interpretation becomes wearing after a while.
The Third is a finer performance and perhaps the main reason to buy this SACD: the immediately attractive melody unfolding warmly, and the alla Marcia section of the central movement played with rather more vibrancy than is on display in the Seventh.
This SACD is recommendable but it wouldn't be anywhere near my first choice for the Seventh, that would rest either with Levine's brilliant, powerful but lyrical Chicago SO recording, Giulini's weighty late recording with the Concertgebouw, or perhaps best of all: Neumann's wonderful early 1980s Supraphon account with the Czech Philharmonic, from the same excellent venue but given a little more space around the sonic image.
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Copyright © 2008 Alex Leach and SA-CD.net
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Site review by Geohominid May 18, 2008
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
The first movement of Dvorák's Third Symphony boasts arguably the most glorious and extended opening melody of any Romantic symphony. It was this symphony which brought Brahms' staunch support, and also persuaded the Czech government to give Dvorák a life-long stipend, another rarity in his time.
The third is the shortest of his symphonic cycle, and the only one to have three movements. Yet another unique feature is that the first movement has only the one subject, something not done since Haydn's day. This buoyant, optimistic music surges ahead most persuasively with Macal and the Czech Philharmonic - carefree and joyful 'feel-good' music if there ever was. They relax in the deeply felt second movement, revelling in its glowing orchestration of funereal colour, and its noble trio with sobbing winds. But the finale is irresistibly cheeky with dotted rhythms and inexhaustible energy. Dvorák throws out tempting hints of Tannhäuser's Pilgrim Hymn; the piquant sound of the Czech winds shows them partaking fully in the mood of subversive humour. Just before the exuberant ending, a piccolo hilariously goes 'mad' for a few moments before the orchestra gathers to gallop home with thrilling panache. This performance easily rivals that of Libor Pešek and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on RBCD, which has hitherto been my touchstone for this unaccountably neglected work. It really ought to be a regular item on concert programmes.
Symphony 7 requires no such special advocacy; it is certainly one of, if not the greatest of Dvorák's set. Another concentrated and cogent work, it is his second shortest symphony. Programmatically, its dark. minor key opening is in fine contrast with the preceding brilliant finale of the Third symphony. This Seventh is like a Pandora's Box, seemingly limitless in invention and emotion, which Macal and his players explore and reveal with confidently idiomatic freshness. The orchestra is on top form; listen to the subtle rubato in the well-loved string theme of the Scherzo, which they play as instinctively as the Vienna Philharmonic do The Blue Danube. The wit, charm and pure spirit of this movement rely on its many plays on polyrhythms, the movement itself being in 6/4 time, and it is difficult to render so clean and expressive an interpretation, yet maintain a light touch. At the conclusion of the darkly strenuous minor mood of the Finale, the burnished brass chorus of the CPO bring majesty and radiance as the key switches into the major for a most satisfying chorale-like peroration.
The Exton engineers have managed to produce a remarkably life-like view of the orchestra in its reverberant hall, from a seat close to the front of the auditorium. It sounds even better than the sound achieved in the Symphony 4 and 8 disc of Macal's nearly complete cycle. The present recording is more transparent, has sharper positional focus for the instrumental groups and greater detail in climaxes, The bass is strong but well-tamed and notably not boomy. Surround channels are, as usual for Exton, somewhat reticent, but the sense of being in the Rudolfinum allows one's full concentration to be on the music.
An excellent disc which has given me great delight and revealed yet more facets of Dvorák's wonderful mastery of orchestration and instrumental textures.
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Copyright © 2008 John Miller and SA-CD.net
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