BaL 1.12.18 - Dvorak: Wind Serenade in D minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

09.30
Building a Library: Sarah Devonald picks a personal favourite from among the recordings of Dvorak's Wind Serenade in D minor.
'It would be difficult to discover a finer, more refreshing impression of really abundant and charming creative talent', wrote no less an authority than Johannes Brahms about Dvorak's Wind Serenade. Inspired by Mozart's great Wind Serenade for 13 wind instruments, this 1878 work is suffused both with the spirit of Czech folk music and Dvorak's distinctive blend of sunniness and wistful nostalgia. The Serenade's wonderfully idiomatic instrumental writing (including three horns, cello and double bass) still sounds fresh and delightful and it was one of Dvorak's earliest successes, helping to carry his reputation to the rest of Europe and beyond. Recordings cover 60+ years and range from rustic and characterful to refined and ultra-sophisticated.

Available recordings:-


Munich Wind Ensemble, Alexander Brezina

National Chamber Players, Lowell Graham (download)

London Baroque Ensemble, Karl Haas

London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész

Linos Ensemble

English Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

Marlboro Festival Wind Ensemble, Marcel Moyse

Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists

Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble

Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra (download)

University of Texas Arlington Wind Symphony Chamber Winds, Douglas Stotter (download)

Swedish Serenade Ensemble (download)

Francois Leleux, Barbara Stegemann, Sharon Kam, Diemut Schneider, Stefan Schweigert, Dag Jensen, Marie Luise Neunecker, Sibylle Mahni, Ozan Çakar

[verismissimo]

I'm amazed that there are so FEW recordings of this wonderful work. Slack week for Alpie!

[MickyD]

I have a very nice version by the wind members of the LPO under the direction of Christopher Hogwood...is it no longer in the catalogue?

[vinteuil]

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... I have the Nash Ensemble -

http://amzn.eu/d/0jPquhq

(also available in this box:

http://amzn.eu/d/a8QlRcJ )

And the St Paul's / Hugo Wolff -

http://amzn.eu/d/2elZIgW

(also available in this box -

http://amzn.eu/d/cZ0KPUt )

I also like the version for nonet with the Czech Nonet

http://amzn.eu/d/98b2qNu

(also available here :

http://amzn.eu/d/gil4ctS )




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[LeMartinPecheur]

This won the string serenade BaL if I remember correctly and the Riverpeople still list it. I bought it to relieve the strain on my ancient Kertesz LPs of both works.

Does Sod's Law mean that this puts it automatically out of contention for the wind serenade??

[gurnemanz]

The Nash Ensemble have a good version which I got via the Brilliant Classics Dvorák Chamber Music Box quite a few years ago. It does seem to be still around as a single CD - on crd.

My other version is with Alexander Schneider and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, a coupling with the String Serenade which was well thought-of at the time. I'm slightly surprised it is not available.

[Barbirollians]

Presto's website is listing rather more accounts as still being available than EA's list - including the Hrusa and the Hogwood as a download -no sign however of the lovely 1957 Barbirolli last sopped in that 3 CD Royal Classics box of the Dvorak symphonies.

[vinteuil]

I have a very nice version by the wind members of the LPO under the direction of Christopher Hogwood...is it no longer in the catalogue?

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http://amzn.eu/d/dbolNZ0

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[vinteuil]

... no sign however of the lovely 1957 Barbirolli last sopped in that 3 CD Royal Classics box of the Dvorak symphonies.

... does this count?

http://amzn.eu/d/co0ZMvz

.

[Bryn]

... does this count?

http://amzn.eu/d/co0ZMvz

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Hmm, was Precision not a Mike Dutton label? If so the transfers should be pretty good. See https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/...k-symphonies-3

[Lordgeous]

I'm amazed that there are so FEW recordings of this wonderful work. Slack week for Alpie!

HOW does he research all available recordings?

[pastoralguy]

One of the first CDs I ever bought was the Philharmonia Orchestra directed in the String Serenade by Christopher Warren-Green coupled with the Principle wind players in the work under discussion. It was a Chandos cd and the sound was terrific.

[pastoralguy]

By coincidence, I received a cd yesterday of a cd I bought for a single £ on eBay on Monday of the Czech Nonet playing it. However, it is the 'Dvorak Op.22 arr Nicholas Ingram'. The instrumentation is Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Two Violins, Double Bass and Piano!

I've not heard it yet but might do tonite.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

HOW does he research all available recordings?

Whoever said “all”?

[MickyD]

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http://amzn.eu/d/dbolNZ0

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That's the one, Vints...it's a lovely recording, and going very cheap on your link.