Customer Reviews

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances

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Those who already own this magnificent CD will notice that the above words are the first in the liner notes. It is Nikolaus Harnoncourt describing his relationship with not only the slavonic dances, but Dvorak's music in total.

He and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe do a brilliant job bringing that sentiment to these dances. I've heard two other recordings and the tendency seems to be to play them sentimentally, as these are melodies using slavonic folk tradition. As a result, most recordings sound somewhat surface-level. Here, this is not the case. The Prestos and Allegros are full of life without being bombastic. And the slower music has a lyrical sweetness while adding a meditational dimension to the music.

For those who've not heard these pieces, they are simply the most fun, melodic music (besides maybe Mozarts divertimenti) the classical world has to offer. They will be especially of interest to the classical beginner because they are a series of short dances with more obvious themes and development than most longer works- The closest classical has ever been to pop. Still, this is not only beginners music. Anyone who loves beautiful melodies, seamless orchestration and good times will cherish this recording.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe have created yet another brilliant recording which is as eloquent a statement about music as their Beethoven works recorded in the early to mid 1990's. Musicologist Harnoncourt makes a very persuasive case showing the Viennese roots of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, demonstrating that the musical legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire influenced not only Austrians and Hungarians, but also the Slavic peoples within the Habsburg realm. These are vibrant, stirring performances of these works which were inspired primarily by Czech folk music, but also include influences as far afield as Slovenia and the Ukraine, yet none are based directly on actual folk tunes. Instead, Dvorak immersed himself in the rhythms and styles of Slavic dances, before composing these two distinct suites.

Without question, these are probably the finest recordings I've heard of Dvorak's scores. Harnoncourt and the orchestra are splendid in illuminating the rich textures of the composer's scores with exceptional performances from the winds and strings. This exceptional recording clearly deserved its Grammy nomination, and I hope that more splendid recordings will be made with Harnoncourt leading the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Vienna Philharmonic - the four great European orchestras with whom he has had a long conducting and recording history. Sadly, sales of his music have lagged in comparison to others, so Teldec has cancelled or postponed some of his important projects, most notably a recording of Bruckner's 9th Symphony which was to be recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic.

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Maestro Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic perform at Carnegie Hall in three programs devoted to Viennese music from the 19th and early 20th centuries, ranging from Beethoven and Schubert to Dvorak, Bruckner and Berg. These were three memorable performances which I hope I shall never forget. And it was a delight to meet him later in person; he's among the most gracious, thoughtful musicians I have encountered.

Harnoncourt has already shown himself to be quite the Dvorak interpreter in other recordings, but this one may trump them all. With the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in blazing form, these performances show why these pieces are often used as encores. (Despite Dvorak's keen sense of pacing, some listeners may choose to listen to just a handful at a time. One can only take so much brilliance at one sitting.)

What distinguishes Harnoncourt's vision is his blend of dash and lyricism, with slightly faster tempi in most of these. Op. 46, No. 7 begins with a delicious oboe figure that soon grows into brazen, monumental chords for the entire orchestra. Throughout the disc, Harnoncourt thrillingly goes for broke in the fast sequences, but then just as exciting, allows the fire to die down and lets us see the flickering of the embers. As rhythmically charged as many of the pieces are, many are softer and wistful as well, and he captures all the exhilarating contrasts.

The disc was taken from live performances and are amazingly polished; you wonder what it must have been like to be in the audience. The Chamber Orchestra of Europe displays an almost playfully athleticism in following Harnoncourt's lead, and they produce a ravishing sound. The woodwinds, especially, have to be heard to be believed.

I have admired Dohnanyi and Cleveland in these pieces for years, and still do, but this is the version I would recommend to anyone who hasn't heard them before. Just outstanding in every way.

A great recording of the "Master of Truth".

And indeed, it is a different recording!
Not like the typical Bohemian style.

It is an outstanding performance, almost chamber like
and very symphonic.

A different approach to the Dances, without the usual
beauty: more serious.

For me this is The Number One recording of the Dances
(and I know at least ten of them !).

I'd say life has been kind to this music. There are the fabulous Szell recordings and both of Kubelik's, then Rodzinski's on old Westminster. I'm sure plenty of others. Great stuff. A good conductor with a top-notch orchestra always seems to have fun with these and why not, they're made to have fun with. Generally, modern recordings of this repertoire don't work for me, flawless playing is usually paired with an odd lack of spirit--like the performers really don't believe in the music; like everyone's playing with one eye on the 401K and another on the resume, in other words like most modernistical people do things these days. Kind of sad when a sort of antiseptic perfection is the only standard--there's something Byzantine or Manchu court about that.

Harnoncourt seems to both fire people up and get the maximum impact out of the music. If anything, he's a man of his times in that his performances--although enthusiastic and sometimes eccentric--can seem a hair fussy and over-focused. That's the only drawback. This recording shows him actually cutting loose more than usual and it's refreshing. Sound is phenomenal. One of the best in a good pack.

Dvorak's Slavonic Dances were the European version of American jazz at the time - slightly scandalous, quirky, played by many and open to various interpretations. Only slowly, like the Tango or the Mazurka, have they become an acceptable part of Classical Music (quote unquote).

Despite all their sheer brilliance, fluctuating harmonies and melodies, they are, in the end, DANCES with all the rhythm, drive and meter that implies. As such, this recording is quite genuine in that it accents the frenetic and sensual aspect of these pieces. A tour de force of technique with imaginative interpretation - a winner.

Dvorak's popular Slavonic Dances are traditionally approached rustically, and the definitive vaclav Talich recording from decades past immerses you immediately into a Czech landscape of peasant festivities. Harnoncourt isn't remotely like that--he conducts each dance with the urbane suavity of a Strauss waltz. The sound of the orchestra is gorgeous and gorgeously recorded. But if you don't want all this nuance and detailed phrasing, these Slavonic Dances aren't for you. I love them, becasue as Harnoncourt is wont to do--when he isn't being outrageous--he makes each dance sound new and original. Highly recommended to anyone who doesn't like to get his boots muddy.

Harnoncourt's excitingly uninhibited new set of the Slavonic Dances, with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, combines great exuberance and virtuosity with vivid colouring. Harnoncourt's direction has tremendous zest and vitality. The Dumka character of Op. 46/2 is spectacularly caught, moving from a relaxed lyrical charm and warmly flexible phrasing to spontaneously hot-blooded bursts of energy, with the trombones electrifying unleased. The delicacy of the string and woodwind playing in No. 6 of the first set is particularly beguiling, as is the seductive rubato at the opening of Op. 72/2. But even here the relaxation of the shapely phrasing is underpinned by an inherent vitality, with the last two chords given a firm finality.
Beautiful music............

This disc is a joy. First of all, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe play magnificently, capturing the elative spirit of the music wonderfully. While the interpretation isn't completely conventional, Harnoncourt displays almost none of his normal eccentricities here, just letting the listener get caught up in the joy of the music. The recorded sound is wonderful, and the Teldec presentation is, as always, extremely elegant. Don't hesitate to buy this disc.