Dvorak Symphony No 9 from the New World

[mikealdren]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e8v9hn

My 1972 pocket money could only afford the fiery NBC SO / Toscanini on a cheap RCA Victrola reissue (rec. Carnegie Hall, 2/2/1953), which was played to destruction in boarding school:

It was my introduction to Toscanini too albeit a few years earlier. On my basic mono record player it sounded fine too.

[Dave2002]

I went out of my way to get Ferenc Fricsay's version - very good. I have a modestly sizeable collection of this symphony - but if asked in a hurry I'd probably say Fricsay - though it's not by any means the only one I enjoy.

I certainly heard the Toscanini one mentioned above. It increased my familiarity with the William Tell overture considerably.

[cloughie]

It was my introduction to Toscanini too albeit a few years earlier. On my basic mono record player it sounded fine too.

I think that LP was an early example of fake stereo!

[Barbirollians]

I went out of my way to get Ferenc Fricsay's version - very good. I have a modestly sizeable collection of this symphony - but if asked in a hurry I'd probably say Fricsay - though it's not by any means the only one I enjoy.

I certainly heard the Toscanini one mentioned above. It increased my familiarity with the William Tell overture considerably.

Fricsay is very different but very special.

[pastoralguy]

Listening to this much loved work reminds me that there’s a reason these works are played so often. They really speak to people.

[Barbirollians]

...and also some in the Metropolis.

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing it played brilliantly by the Vienna Philharmonic after Leonidas Kavakos's Korngold Violin Concerto at the 2019 Proms, the day after Haitink's farewell Bruckner 7 . Andrés Orozco-Estrada began the concert with The Noonday Witch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e8v9hn

My 1972 pocket money could only afford the fiery NBC SO / Toscanini on a cheap RCA Victrola reissue (rec. Carnegie Hall, 2/2/1953), which was played to destruction in boarding school:

Missed this post - yes that was an excellent concert enjoyed it very much after the late BH’s farewell concert.

Meanwhile, I was rather taken with Marin Alsop’s Baltimore account on Naxos recently . Very glad she is coming back for the last night.

[gramophonic]

This was the first major work I heard and thought wow, this is what it's all about! I was 4 or 5 years old and had it on one of those "classical collection" tapes or some such, so no idea who was conducting, but it singlehandedly opened my ears to literally a new world. I remember thinking there must be hundreds of people in that orchestra lol
I then listened to it over and over, trying to pick apart what instrument was doing what and how it all fit together.

[richardfinegold]

This was the first major work I heard and thought wow, this is what it's all about! I was 4 or 5 years old and had it on one of those "classical collection" tapes or some such, so no idea who was conducting, but it singlehandedly opened my ears to literally a new world. I remember thinking there must be hundreds of people in that orchestra lol
I then listened to it over and over, trying to pick apart what instrument was doing what and how it all fit together.

That is very young, but through the years I’ve seen the NWS be a “gateway “ work on adolescents or adults that were curious about Classical Musicbut not knowing where to start. I frequently get asked to recommend pieces that sound “just like it”.

[gramophonic]

That is very young, but through the years I’ve seen the NWS be a “gateway “ work on adolescents or adults that were curious about Classical Musicbut not knowing where to start. I frequently get asked to recommend pieces that sound “just like it”.

I'm fairly sure I asked my musically minded headmaster at primary school the same question or a similar one, I definitely brought the tape in to school to show it off to my friends, none of them got it lol but he did and kindly gave me more tapes.

My dad's music is the heavy side of classic rock (deep purple especially) and mum isn't at all musical, but they did make an efert to show me lots of different kinds of music. I had quite an eclectic tape collection, mostly things that had been borrowed from the library then dubbed onto another tape. I am totally blind and have been from birth, so they possibly thought I was going to do something with music anyway!
The new world was definitely a lightbulb moment for me and I can well imagine it being so for other young people.

[Bryn]

A 5-disc set of 12" 78s (Stokowski's 1934 recording in its 1935 auto-couped UK release) was my father's only recording of a symphony when I was a young lad. He must have bought it long after its release, however. He was only 11 years old in 1935. It will have been a post-WWII purchase.

[Barbirollians]

A 5-disc set of 12" 78s (Stokowski's 1934 recording in its 1935 auto-couped UK release) was my father's only recording of a symphony when I was a young lad. He must have bought it long after its release, however. He was only 11 years old in 1935. It will have been a post-WWII purchase.

Was it good ? Not a version I have heard - The Szell is the earliest I know and that is excellent.

[Lordgeous]

Ah, those handsome 78rpm sets.... I have a cudboard full of them (inherited). Do I have energy and will power to transfer and edit them? And is it worth doing? I did one many years ago which turned out quite well - Heifitz/Beecham Mendlessohn Violin Concerto.

[Bryn]

Was it good ? Not a version I have heard - The Szell is the earliest I know and that is excellent.

I see from Discogs that it had a stint as a Victrola LP. I was far too young to have listened that critically to the Shellacs. I do remember very much enjoying it though.

[johnb]

One of the first LPs I bought as a teenager was Dvorak 9 with Ancerl and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on Philips Fontana, one of the early stereo recordings. It was second hand from a shop in Tib Street, Manchester. I've always been fond of that recording.

[muzzer]

That is very young, but through the years I’ve seen the NWS be a “gateway “ work on adolescents or adults that were curious about Classical Musicbut not knowing where to start. I frequently get asked to recommend pieces that sound “just like it”.

Agree, it’s a real gateway. And for those of us of a certain age, it was the brass band version of the largo and a certain brand of bread that’s remembered. That certainly brought some relief in our house from Wagner, for sure.