Customer Reviews

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances

5 star:		(4)
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I first heard this CD on public radio. I thought, "It's got to be the Czech Philharmonic--Talich? Neumann?" Imagine my pleasant surprise to find that it was our own "hometown" orchestra, the ASO ! Forget any prejudices you may have in favor of European orchestras or the American Big 5. This CD will show you that you can find other kinds of music in Georgia besides rap, country, and rhythm and blues.

What can I say??!! These are the best Slavonic Dances by far!!!
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra sound is jubilant, majestic, rousing and colorful! I have other recordings of the dances by
Szell/Cleveland Orchestra, Kubelik/Bavarian Radio Symphony,
Dorati/Royal Philharmonic and Maazel/Berlin Philharmonic but
these don't come close! Joel Levi really pulled off a beauty
here. Too bad Atlanta lost him because he really had a great influence on that orchestra. I just hope Robert Spano and Donald

Runnicles will have just as great or greater influence. Now if
we could get as good a Dvorak Ninth as we did the Slavonic Dances
that would be FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

I had already assembled what I thought were the best recordings of the Slavonic Dances when I happened on the Amazon listing for this one by the Atlanta Symphony conducted by Yoel Levi. The highly complimentary reviews caught my eye and made me wonder whether the disk could truly merit such praise. (Though I held a lot of respect for the orchestra under Robert Shaw's direction, I had little knowledge of Levi's work.) I decided to order it and see for myself.

After playing it several times I came to the conclusion that it is indeed a first-rate recording, with excellent conducting by Levi, great playing by the Symphony, and impressive digital engineering by the Telarc recording team. Though I won't try to assign it a specific place among the great recordings of the Dances, I am satisfied that it belongs somewhere in that rarified company. In short, it has many fine qualities (some unique) and no real flaws. Levi and the Atlantans catch the essence of these delightful dance-inspired pieces and deliver it to us with all the charm and gusto we could ask for. In particular, Levi handles the intertwining of melodies and countermelodies in an absolutely masterful way, unmatched by anyone else, I believe. He also shows great sensitivity and feel in the transitions between different musical moods and tempos. As for the orchestra, all sections do themselves proud: the strings are excellent, the woodwinds, virtuosic, the brass, brilliant, and the percussion, sensational. (The percussion are more dominant in the strong climaxes here than in most recordings.) This is music with great verve, piquant charm, sweet sentimentality, swinging rhythm--in short, just what Dvorák intended in this kaleidoscope of contrasting musical characters.

How a non-Slavic orchestra and conductor could pull this off may be a subject for debate, but there's no debating that they do. (The whole question of the importance of ethnic match between composer and interpreter can be a bit of a puzzle, I find. Stereotypic attitudes in this domain need rigorous re-examination.)

The program notes are quite adequate, and include a full roster of the sizable orchestra--a plus for me, because among the strings I discovered the name of an old friend and excellent cellist.

This is no doubt about as fine a recording of the Slavonic Dances as can be had. Individual tastes may lead some to prefer other recordings, but in overall musical substance and quality this disk is inferior to none.

This is the best recording of the Slovanic Dances I've ever heard. Levi really brings out the dramatic and keeps the playful light at the same time. I strongly recommend this recording to everyone to add to their music library. It is a well rounded and well played recording by a real up and coming symphony.