Customer Reviews

Dvorak: The Nine Symphonies

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Rafael Kubelik was one of our foremost interpreters of Dvorak and other great Czech composers such as Smetana and Janacek. His critically acclaimed 1960's Dvorak symphony Deutsche Grammophon cycle was reissued several years ago as a budget-priced collection. Although the price may still be a bit steep for some, it is still worth acquiring as one of the best Dvorak symphony cycles available; both Grammophone and Penguin classical CD guides still regard it as definitive. All of these performances with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra are lush, warm and brilliant; most notable are the exciting, lyrical accounts of the last three symphonies. Yet Kubelik's readings of the other symphonies are just as vibrant. Speaking of his account of the "New World" 9th Symphony, it remains one of the great performances, ranking alongside those I have heard from the likes of Abbado, Harnoncourt, Masur, and Maazel. If price is a major consideration, you may consider getting the two CD set which has Kubelik's readings of the last three symphonies; otherwise, by all means, you should acquire this fine collection of the entire Dvorak symphony cycle.

When I first started seriously collecting classical music, I tended to avoid box sets. As part of my classical music self-education, I wanted to buy recordings by various respected performers, conductors and orchestras in an attempt to understand how performances and styles differ. Of course, even back then I made some exceptions -- the Borodin Complete Shostakovich String Quartets, Rudolf Kempe's Complete Recordings of Strauss' Orchestral Works, Toscanini's Beethoven Symphony Cycle, and this Dvorak Cycle by Rafael Kubelik. My original reason for purchasing this title was threefold. First, I adored Kubelik's recording of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances on DG, so he seemed the perfect choice for Dvorak's Symphonies. Second, unlike Beethoven or Mahler, there were not numerous single-disc Dvorak symphony performances available, particularly for the early symphonies. Third, the value was and continues to be amazing. But if the music isn't good, then no matter how inexpensive the title is, it's no value at all. Well, rest assured these performances are amazing. For example, I still find this to be the single best performance of the 9th Symphony (From The New World), more magical than legendary accounts by Reiner, Szell, Fricsay and Paray. However, it was the early symphonies that were the initial treat for me -- particularly the 2nd and the 4th. If you are not prepared to purchase the cycle, you can always get the very same versions of the 7th, 8th, 9th and "The Wood Dove" on a DG two-fer, or the 8th and 9th on the DG Originals disc. But if you love Dvorak, the whole cycle is the one to buy.

I recently, actually just before purchasing this set, received Vaclav Neumann's set with the Czech Philharmonic. A really good set to compare this one to. I also have had, over the years, different performances of the late symphonies with, Ormandy, Szell, Sawallisch, Walter and Carlo Maria Giulini. When it comes to lush sound and playing, nothing tops the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was the first time that I had a chance to listen, side by side, the 7th, 8th and 9th. But, I must say overall this set is truly magnificent. In fact Maestro Kubelik's reading of the 2nd symph. helped me to understand the work. Neumann, although wonderfully played by the Czech orchestra, somehow couldn't bring across the meaning of the work to me, along with the strings sounding like they were in another building somewhere.

To me, all of Dvorak's sympyhonies are a set of tone poems that are molded together through a cyclic theme that pops up here and there. They are all so beautiful and magical and powerful, yet seem to weave together into a beautiful whole that can be called a symphony.

My favorites used to be the 1st, 4th, 7th,8th and 9th. Now, because of the maestro's reading, the second and a deeper love of the fourth. Infact, I want to add that the second may be the composers best work. Very creative and spontaneous but beautiful and powerful at the same time. The slow movent of the fourth maybe one of the most beautiful slow movements of any symphony ever composed.

His readings of the 3rd, 5th, and 6th are superior also. In a critique I wrote for the Neumann set I said that the strings were so poorly miked that it took away from his readings and the Kubelik readings magnify this tremendously.

The Berlin Philharmonic is wonderful in this set. I wish DG would have recorded the other works with it. The recordings with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra are very good, but the viruosity of the BPO would have added even more to the performances.

This set is an absolute must have for any basic library of classical music, and a must have for any Dvorack lover, the most underated and underplayed composer of them all. I wonder how few know that Dvorak truly amazed Brahms and Brahms even published some of the symphonies for him.

Being of Czech & Slovak heritage, I revere and adore Antonin Dvorak. As a used record store owner, I had access to unlimited versions of his symphonic works, and own many many many single disk recordings, and in addition own both the Kertesz & the Kubelik cycles.

Why insist one is better than the other? I can tell you that Kertesz' gets my Bohemian blood coursing merrily through my veins, while Kubelik's makes my heart sing like a nightingale.

And then there's the stunning 8th done by Carlo Maria Giulini and the CSO on DG back in 1979. It violates every rule of Slavic symphony interpretation, particularly in Giulini's characteristically laid back tempi. The final movement is about half the speed of Kertesz! But the attention to inner voicing and detail, combined with the (at that time) unmatched virtuosity of the CSO, and the sublime sonic quality of the DG recording allow it to stand on its own as a valid intepretation.

Every conductor and every orchestra, along with every sound engineer is going to put his personal stamp on any interpretation. The urge to rate them comparatively is almost irresistible, but let's not criticize what we don't understand, and get in the way of people's decisions on what to listen to!

There's little doubt that Rafael Kubelik performing the Czech repertory is a cornerstone of the recording catalog. That said, there are some problems with this box. The best sounding recording in the set is the 8th, which paradoxically is the earliest recording of all of them. It sounds virtually the same as my old cassette (original issue, no Dolby) of the recording, without the tape hiss. It also is the least representative performance in the set, being fairly straighforward and sounding like it could be the work of a number of different conductors. The rest of the interpretations are undeniably Kubelik. Compared to other counductors in this repertoire, and I have good sets by Valek and Gunzenhauser, Kubelik's readings of the symphonies sound much more lived in and reflected on than the others. Sometimes the rhythmic flow bogs down as Kubelik elicits a phrasing or balance that eludes other conductors. But after listening to this set in its entirety, it is very hard to settle for the interpretations of less personally involved conductors, even Kertesz and Rowicki. The sound on the first 6 symphonies is quite good, with much detail and fine dynamics, although they are a bit bass shy. The 7th has sound that is basically good, although it can become cloudy in tuttis. The 9th, a great performance (I heard Kubelik do this live with the N.Y. Philharmonic, and this version is representative of him in concert.), is hampered by sound that is often dry and murky. The Scherzo Capriccioso, Carnival Overture, and The Wood Dove are all given elastic and sensitively phrased readings by Kubelik's own Bavarian Radio Symphony, forming an interesting contrast with the more virtuosic Berliners. In sum, this is a set with problems, but the joy of hearing Kubelik in the lesser known pieces compensates for them. I also would recommend his Chicago Symphony New World, recorded in excellent Mercury Living Presence monaural sound.

Kubelik's set shines especially in the early symphonies, where inspiration is matched by first-class execution by the Berliners, who outdid the Londoners for Kertesz (e.g. in Symphony No.5). Kubelik elicits some highly pointed rhythms and sprightly phrasings, which help a great deal in giving shape to these sometimes meandering early symphonies.

There are technical imperfections. The early 1970s recordings at Berlin's Jesus-Christus-Kirche (No.8 in 1966, the rest 1971-73) generally sound very dry, have some noticeable tape splices, tend to be compressed at fortés, not to mention a bit shrilling at times too. The tonal lushness of the Berliners, however, compensates for the typical dryness served by the DG engineers in Berlin during the 70s, creating a signature Berliner-DG sound (whether for Karajan or Kubelik).

And despite the Berliners' polish and virtuosity, the hot-blooded Kubelik is able to get them into frenzied moments of abandon. The 1st mvt climax before the coda of No.7 is a case in point, where the 1st violins, separated from the 2nd violins across the stage in Kubelik's favorite divided violins seating, threaten to get out of sync with the rest of the orchestra. (The divided violins seating, btw, is not used in No.8---a pity.) Such technical imperfections notwithstanding, this Dvorak 7, along with the Colin Davis and the Harnoncourt (both, incidentally, with the Concertgebouworkest), holds a special place in my heart and keeps me coming back to it since I first heard it on radio 20+ yrs ago.

Taken individually, very characterful performances with heart. As an integral set, the best Dvorak symphonies. I should also mention that Kubelik's Bavarian recordings of Dvorak's Scherzo capriccioso, Carnival and The Wood Dove are exemplary. Except for the Scherzo capriccioso, however, you could get them with all the rest (overtures, symphonic poems and slavonic dances) on a TRIO set.

One might describe Dvorak's symphonies as a blend of the styles of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Smetana - grand, vast, expansive, lush, lyrical works in the romantic style that retain those elements of rustic simplicity and nostalgia so dear to the heart. This is evident even in his earliest two symphonies, which, though not as economically written as his subsequent ones, pave the way for the great composer to come. Symphonies 3-6 are beautiful works as well while the last three are simply over the top (the seventh is considered his masterpiece in the genre, and rightly so). Familiarity with early works is exceedingly important if one wishes to fully understand a composer's development over time and transition into maturity. This is especially true for conductors of orchestras, without whom we would not enjoy the fruits of the composer's labor. That being said, the symphonies referenced above are masterfully executed by Kubelik et al., especially number 8 (I particularly like the driving energy he brings to the finale of the first movement!). I might, in fact, even say I prefer Kubelik's renditions of the last two to those of Kertesz (who also does an amazing job and whose Dvorak set I'd prefer over any other). He skillfully brings out the Tchaikovskian lushness and lyricism of the Third Symphony, the pastoral bucolicism of the Fifth and the passion and yearning of the Ninth (From the New World). As for the others - well, he seems just plain disinterested! It's as if he were operating compulsively and without any emotional investment in the works. The Sixth, for example, drags on and on from beginning to end. I am particularly disappointed in the last movement, which is not only entirely too slow for my taste, but at a point two minutes from the end where it is supposed to speed up, Kubelik just takes his sweet old time with the same glacial tempo! Another prominent example is the Scherzo of the Fourth, lasting nearly 8 minutes. Compare to Kertesz, whose interpretation lasts between 4 and 5 minutes and is much lighter and crisper. I will admit that most of the last movement of the Seventh (my absolute favorite) is incredible, but it falls off at the tail end when it loses its energy. Symphonies 1 and 2 lag as well and contribute to the generally somnolent effect of this set. If I had heard only these and not Kertesz's much better interpretations of the early works, I would not have developed the interest in them that I now have, nor would I have come to view them as crucial works in Dvorak's evolution as a composer.

My advice to prospective buyers: buy the more spirited and energetic Kertesz set. He obviously has a thorough interest in bringing the early Dvorak symphonies to light and eliciting all of the typical Dvorakian elements in these works - and they're very much present. It's only a matter of what the conductor chooses to realise.

Although decades old, the two analog sets of Dvorak symphonies from Kertesz and Kubelik remain front-runners. From the mid-Sixties onward Decca has been so satisfied with the groundbreaking Kertesz cycle, the first to bring Sym. 1-6 to the general listening public outisde Czechoslovakia, that the company has rarely re-recorded any but the last three, most famous symphonies. DG, on the other hand, didn't release Kubelik's Sym. 1-6 until the digital era (1988, I believe), keeping them in the vaults and out of competiiton with Kertesz.

Now both sets are offered at basically the same price on 6 mid-line discs, with deep discounts on the used market. The difference between the two is quite marked musically. Kertesz communicates the thrill of discovery in the early symphhonies. He had never conducted them before, and their vibrancy and inner life lift my spirits every time I hear them. The LSO didn't know these pieces, either, but play with rousing commitment and vivacity.

By comparison, Kubelik sounds rather correct and staid. He often chooses marginally slower tempos, and his enthusiasm for letting the dance rhytyms turn exciting is limited. The Berlin Phil. seems not to catch on to the Slavonic folk idiom, which gets played far too straight (Dvorak had the same problem with Greman orchestras in his lifetime and was only accepted in Vienna and Berlin at first as a kind of naive provincial Brahms). As to sonics, the Decca set holds up well, being a bit bright at times but otherwise detailed and forward. DG, unforunately, gave Kubelik's later symphonies (#7-9) harsh, glaring sound that makes his readings sound brash; there's an unpleasant sting to the sound at higher volumes. This problem seems less in the earlier symphonies (the cycle was recorded over a longer period than Kertesz's and thus has more variable engineering). I don't know if the current reissue also includes remastering.

It's regrettable that in the interest of economics Decca has cut out several of Kertesz's most interesting fillers, such as the Hussite Over., though they can be found on other CDs from him. We get the Carnival Over. on both sets, after which Kertesz gives us the "My Homeland" and "In Nature's Realm" Over., while Kubelik offers the Scerzo capriccioso and The Wild Dove tone poem, both performed by his Bavarian State Orchestra rather than the Berliners.

As msut be obvious by now, I don't feel the two sets are equal artistically. Kubelik was a major conductor and dedicated himself to Dvorak, but his best work isn't consistently here. Kertesz, although not native born to the composer as Kubelik was, found a special affinity for Dvorak, and his cycle is one of the small miracles of Sixties recording. Perhaps not so minor considering that no one has bettered him in the early symphonies for forty years.

One of the problems in recording all of the symphonies of any composer is that some of the performances will fail. Just like very few sporting teams can win 9 games in a row, very few conductor/orchestra combinations can pull off 9 excellent performances. In this set there are only 2 excellent ones, 7 and 8. The New World (9) is cold and passionless, his Chicago recording was absolutely magnificent. The rest are ponderous and lacking in charm. It seems like the Berlin Philharmonic was simply not interested in the early symphonies of Dvorak. I wonder if they ever played them in concert or did they simply record them. Whatever, this set is not a bargain. One more thought: 2 of the symphonies are spread over two CDs. There is no excuse for doing something that outrageous. I checked the timings and the symphonies could have been placed on the 6 cds without spreading any of them on 2 discs. Or they could have simply put the set on 7 cds. Blank CDs don't cost much.

Rafael Kubelik was a great conductor, whom I have alot of respect for. However, I just could not sink my teeth into these performances. I found them to be brash and over the top. They were played way too heavily for Dvorak. It was as if they thought they were playing Brahms. Now, I know Dvorak was a great admirer of Brahms, and that he definitely can be considered a Brahmsian, but the the music of these two men is very different. I prefer a lighter, more rustic approach to these works, like one finds in the Istvan Kertesz set on London. This is certainly the set to stick with for these symphonies. I have long since sold my Kubelik recording, because it just didn't do it for me... the Kertesz recording is a keeper.