Dvorak, Antonin((1841-1904)

[BBMmk2]

I like Rafael Kubelik. I must hear Ancerl's soon.

[rauschwerk]

The Sixth has all the usual Dvorak faults as a symphonist (lack of true development of themes in favor of merely repeating them for coloristic effect)

I could not disagree more! In the first movement, Dvorak uses motifs from his themes in very similar ways to his idol Beethoven. He makes sequences of them just as Beethoven or Brahms would have. The bass line is always wonderfully purposeful. And just listen to how he uses a three note scale motif drawn from the opening theme to drive the music through an exciting series of modulations to prepare the recapitulation! This is a wonderful symphony and Dohnanyi and the Clevelanders do it full justice as far as I am concerned.

[Beef Oven!]

One of the greatest bargains of my record-buying 'career' has been the 8-CD Brilliant Classics set of Dvorak's Chamber Works.
Among the symphonies, I think that the 5th is unfairly overshadowed by the last three.

I listened to the fifth this afternoon and really enjoyed it. Brahms influenced (no bad thing) but as ever Dvorak does everything with in his own (Bohemian?) way. And I agree that it is unfairly overshadowed but some of the later symphonies. But it is a marvellous 40 minutes of symphonic music.

Really getting an awful lot out of rediscovering Dvorak.

[cloughie]

I like Rafael Kubelik. I must hear Ancerl's soon.

Best of luck, those he recorded are good but I think you'll only find 6, 8 and 9.

[BBMmk2]

Best of luck, those he recorded are good but I think you'll only find 6, 8 and 9.

Oh that's a shame. I must investigate his chamber music.

Beefy, glad you like it!

[gurnemanz]

I agree about the Brilliant Classics Chamber box, where I made many new discoveries. Also the complete String Quartets on the same label from the Stamitz Quartet.

Some favourite Symphony recordings:
4,5 Rowicki, LSO
6 Pešek, Czech Phil with Nature's Realm
7 Iván Fischer, Budapest Festival Orchestra
8, 9 Bruno Walter, CSO (Ebullient 8th was one of his last recordings)

Love Songs, Magdalena Kožená with Graham Johnson

I love and often play the Kubelik Symphonic Poems and Overtures with Bavarian Radio Orch