Customer Reviews

Dvorak: The Symphonies [Box Set]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard to believe that Decca is reissuing this set at this price given the fact that it pretty much renders most of the more recent, full price recordings of Dvorak moot. This is simply a terrific cycle of the Dvorak symphonies!

Kertesz brings life and excitement to all these pieces. His touch works especially well in the first six symphonies, which are all sadly neglected in the concert hall. Rhythms are crisp and bracing. The orchestral sound pulses with life. The Amazon reviewer rightly notes that the playing isn't perfect, but there is so much vibrancy to the playing that the occasional crudeness is irrelevant.

This bargain is also an excellent introduction to the treasures that lie in Dvorak's early symphonies. Numbers one and two are certainly overlong, but you have to love the scherzo of the first. Three and four are considered Wagnerian by many critics, but both contain a wealth of gorgeous melody. (I especially like the opening of three and the soaring melody introduced a few minutes into the Finale of 4.) Five is a wonderfully bucolic piece (at least until the Finale), with another memorable scherzo. Six is very Brahmsian--with a wonderful opening movement rich with horns.

You may have recordings of the last three, but Kertesz need not bow before anyone in these pieces, so don't let duplication keep you from getting this. I noticed that DG has rereleased the wonderful Kubelik cycle, but it is more expensive. Get this one and hope that DG offers Kubelik on separate discs so that you can get his fabulous sixth.

In the early '60s, I developed an interest in the Dvorak symphonies beyond the evergreen "Symphony from the New World" and began acquiring a complete set on the Artia label from Czechoslovakia. These were authoritative, idiomatic performances, but the sound quality - and the lack of stereo on at least a few of them - left me wishing for more.

I had barely finished this Artia set when the first release or two of Istvan Kertész's performances with the London Symphony, then on London LPs, hit the market. I can't really remember, at this late date, which was the first in the set except that it included a performance of the "Hussite Overture" that literally blew me away. In pretty short order, I soon had a second full set of Dvorak symphonies - the Kertész set - in splendidly up-to-date stereo sound and in performances that sounded, if anything, even more idiomatic than those Artia performances. And, as noted, a large part of the "freshness" to these Kertész performances may well be due to his relaxed approach to what had been for him new repertoire.

I don't know that there's ever been a more melodic composer than Dvorak. Some might opt for Tchaikovsky, but I would differ with them. Even Dvorak's early symphonies - long unknown to concert-goers and record-collectors - have the gift of spontaneous melody, if not the perfection of craft that his later works in the genre did. And his overtures and orchestral scherzi matched the symphonies in melodiousness: the "In Nature's Realm" Overture is downright irresistable in this respect.

This boxed set of the works, remastered for CD, is a splendid bargain. The remastered sound need take second place to any other integral set of the Dvorak symphonies (save one, which I mention briefly at the end). And of course the full magic of Kertész's performances is there for all to enjoy without concern for "settling for second best" in any respect.

But I have a few gripes about how Decca has gone about this CD release. The set of symphonies and overtures comes in two 4-CD jewel boxes inside a slipcase. But there are only 6 CDs, the penny-pinching for which leads to awkward sidebreaks for a few of the symphonies. And the "Hussite Overture" - one of the very best in the set, and one of the very best performances of the work anywhere - is nowhere to be found.

How much better it would have been had Decca seen fit to include the "Hussite Overture" and with the very real expectation that the regrettable sidebreaks would not have occurred! This is reason enough for me to give this release only 4 stars. And it is a shame because it needn't have been that way!

There is every appearance that Ivan Fischer (interestingly, another Hungarian and not a Czech) is in the process of doing his own (and very new) traversal of these works, with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and on the Philips label. The little I've heard has me very excited. But Fischer does not "put Kertész in the shade." And the price is considerably higher.

Aside from the aforementioned nits about saving a disc or two and its side effects, I doubt very much that you'd be disappointed in this bargain boxed set.

Bob Zeidler

Although decades old, the two analog sets of Dvorak symphonies from Kertesz and Kubelik remain the front-runnters. 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 vualts 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, however. Kertesz comunicates the thrill of discovery in the early symphhonies. Amazingly, 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 become 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, folk-flavored 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 sound). I do not know if the current re-issue 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 competitive artistically. Kubelik was a major conductor and dedicated to Dvorak, but his best work isn't here. Kertesz, though 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.

For decades, reviewers -- just like the 15 or so here that gave this set 5 stars -- tripped over themselves trying to describe to you how great was this set of integral Dvoark symphonies by Istvan Kertesz and the London Symphony Orchestra. And, for decades, it was hard for me to believe that Istvan Kertesz and the 1972-era London Symphony Orchestra could be among the world's greatest exponents of this music.

So I waited until I could get this set cheap -- I mean cheap! -- before buying. And, just as I suspected with Karajan's set of Mendelssohn symphonies, when I actually got the thing at home, it wasn't quite what everyone had been saying all that time.

I have no particular objection with Kertezs' way with the music. While not as ingrained in the Budapest, Hungary born conductor's soul as it may have been in a Czech conductor such as Ancerl or Vaclav Neumann, his advocacy is strong, if not particularly individual, throughout the set. In addtion, this set includes many recordings that were firsts at a time when the composers symphonies 1-6 were not well documented on vinyl or tape.

However, other characteristics of this set put me off to no end. First, and foremost, is the way the CDs are arranged -- in two separate boxes, one with Symphonies 1-6 on four CDs and Symphonies 7-9 on a pair. Why two boxes? I don't know. Why not in cardboard slipcases inside one box, that would save space and not break? Don't ask me.

It gets worse, too. In the first box, the first CD contains all of Symphony 1 and a piece of Symphony 2, starting a trend that continues on all four CDs. They are all arranged poorly with one symphony cleaning up (finishing) on the first or second tracks and another one beginning after that. If you've ever played a CD in the car you know how idiotic this seems and how difficult it is to manage. It requires twice the work to play them at home, too.

Second, the London Symphony, which was not the world's best in the 1970s, is not the best orchestra for this music. The brass lack the weight and force to drive home the message as clearly and forcefully as Kubelik does it in his collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (with whom he also recorded some outstanding Smetana at about the same time). Be advised the Kubelik set includes many of the same space-saving devices -- cramming three movements each of Symphony 3 and 5 on a single CD -- as this issue.

Third, the sound on this issue was probably pretty good for 1973 but is only adequate in 2007. I don't know if this has been remastered in recent years but the set I have does not sound any better than average for its period, with a decidedly two by two perspective. I can't imagine spending much time listening to this with better recordings (some from the same era) and more well-recorded performances available. I can't count a single performance from this set that displaced any of my personal favorites.

To its credit, this set includes a nice performance of four Dvorak overtures and tone poems incluidng "In Nature's Realm" that concludes one of the CDs; three others fill out the "New World" symphony CD. Still, buyers looking for an integral set of Dvorak symphonies in Czech style should listen closely and compare to the more dramatic but also more costly Kubelik set before investing, in my opinion.

Another, perhaps better, alternative is the Dvorak symphony set by Otmar Suitner on Berlin Classics, which is still available new for about $17 from an Amazon vendor. While not the last word in Czech expression, Suitner manifests all the joy of these symphonies -- which occasionally eludes Kertesz -- while capturing most of the drama. Recorded during the 1970s and 1980s, the Berlin State Orchestra isn't presented in the kind of detailed sound we take for granted these days but its playing is warm and Suitner's leadership is very exciting and, by turn, humanistic. Maybe best of all, the Suitner set -- which eschews add ons -- is far more intelligently laid out on five disks, a big improvement over the idiotic foundation of either the Kertesz or Kubelik sets.

A side issue to the Suitner set is relatively colorless sound. For listeners looking for better sound in an integral set, the various collections by Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which arrive in a trio of 2-CD sets combining the early (1-3), middle (4-6) and late (7-9) symphonies works better and allows the listener to buy only the symphonies (s)he wants. These are outstanding and unique performances by a noted Dvoark expert in wonderful sound. Best of the batch is probably the middle combo with Symphonies 4-6 which scored a 10/10 on www.ClassicsToday.com for artistry and sound. It may end up costing you more to buy all the symphonies this way but it's a better investment than the Kertesz set.

Kertesz was the greatest conductor of Dvorak's works. Each symphony is filled with great emotion and pathos and excitement. Kertesz was able to achive this spontanious sound in several ways. First of all, he never over-rehearsed the orchestra, keeping the sound young and fresh. Secondly, he would come to rehearsals with the score completely memorised. And finally, he recorded the set with the London Symphony, an orchestra which did not know Dvorak's music well. These three elements contribute to th rustic beauty found in every one of the symphonies. The orchestra is also top notch. The brass, especially the trombones, are powerful and strong, adding great color. The woodwind players play their parts with such sublime grace that it is hard to imagine they were not familiar with the music. And even though this set was recorded almost 50 years ago, the "London" sound is clear and powerful - it almost sounds as if it was recorded yesterday. Kertesz does many great things with the orchestra that seem so clear, but very few other conductors have done the same. Dynamicly, Kertesz is a master. The orchestra can grow from pp to ff in seconds, creating huge sweeping waves of rich sound. As I said before, the brass is strong, as it should be in any work by Dvorak. And the strings have a full, but rustic sound to them, reminding us that Dvorak was originally a small town musican. Futhermore, because his music is so deeply rooted in the folk music tradition, it seems necessary to keep the orchestra sounding fresh and rustic. This is the perfect set, and for the price, I would buy it now before it goes out of print! -- Also, Kertesz's cycle of the Schubert symphonies with London are also perfect readings. --

I dont want or need to add anything about these performances, - other reviewers are spot on, - they are simply wonderful, life affirming, even. What i would like to comment on is the sound. This is a forty year old set, and had always sounded good. Recently, however, I upgraded from my beloved Castle Howard S3s and Nakamichi amp to Quad ESL63s with twin valve amps and new valve pre-amp. So, as you can imagine, I've been rummaging through my collection, hearing everything afresh. And the amazing discoveries? Several, but this is among the happiest. This forty year old sound is fresh as a daisy, - it has been superbly re-mastered from superb masters and sounds, well, superb. So dont just think you're getting one of the gramophone's most precious performances, you're also getting sound better than you could possibly have expected.

It's, unfortunately, probably fair to describe the status of Dvorak's symphonies by saying that the musicologists like the seventh, classical audiences like the eighth, and more general audiences can recognize the slow movement of the New World (although they frequently think that it is a Negro spiritual). In fact, though, Dvorak ranks with Brahms and Tchaikovsky as one of the supreme masters of orchestral music in the late nineteenth century. This set, with all nine of the symphonies, three of Dvorak's overtures, and the Scherzo Capriccioso, makes an impressive case for Dvorak's orchestral music. While some may prefer other performances of individual pieces to those offered here, every performance is worthy of a five-star rating. There are absolutely no issues with the sound, although the recordings date from the 1960s and, perhaps, early 1970s (Istvan Kertesz drowned in 1973). The bargain price makes this set a superb value.

If you are intellectually compelled by the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Berlioz (and Brahms too), then Dvorak will become one of your favorites.

Dvorak gets ignored or dismissed by some people as a second or even third-rate composer. This is extremely unfair, since his inspiration level was extraordinary, more than above average. Furthermore, many of their comments and arguments are merely reinforcements of already-made opinions, such as those by George Bernard Shaw. These folks have been reading, and not listening.
If you buy this set, I ask you to do a few things: throw away the notion that Wagner somehow plays an extremely influential role in Dvorak's music. Many people say that Dvorak's early symphonies are Wagnerian, and that they are naïve.
Naïve, maybe. More accurate is: healthy. Wagnerian? Hardly. Unless you have been obsessively reading G.B. Shaw's opinions on Dvorak, you are not likely to make a very big Dvorak-Wagner connection, even if the young Dvorak WAS a big Wagnerite. Instead you are going to think Dvorak-Beethoven, or even Dvorak-Mozart. Those two seem a far more prominent influence on Dvorak, in my opinion--especially in the long-term. Dvorak had a gift for Mozartian lyricism that I find unsurpassed in the music of his time, and he successfully combined it -more often than not- with a Beethovenian strength. Substantive is another good word to describe his symphonies. His third symphony is a perfect example: themes are developed very finely and boldly, augmented by the right structure (speaking on my experience aurally, NOT technically).
Dvorak's symphonies are for those who enjoy Beethoven and Mozart type symphonies, for they're the kind that don't depend on an outer, extra-musical, source for direction. It is often said that Dvorak was inspired by his Czech homeland. Don't let this confuse you to think that his symphonies are about landscapes. Nor are they merely music for music's sake.
You shouldn't worry about whether Dvorak was influenced by Wagner, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, or Satan himself...because in the end Dvorak is Dvorak.

Symphonies Nos.1 & 2:
This is pretty early Dvorak, he was unknown to the world as a composer. He thought big at this time: probably the only significant Wagnerian influence, largesse. As the booklet notes, these two symphonies are very long, and they are not perfect structurally, and they are a bit repetitious in spots. No doubt Dvorak WOULD have edited them and refined them if he hadn't lost them. Still, you can enjoy these...the last movement to Symphony No.1 in particular.

Symphony No.3:
This is what I consider the best Dvorak symphony of them all. I can't begin to describe how much I love the opening movement. This symphony is epic without all the cymbals and drums that other composers seem to lean on, and lyrical on an incredibly original scale. What I can say cohesively about this symphony is this: you can listen to so many (certainly not all) symphonies after Beethoven that can't keep up the thread of inspiration without breaking into some not-too-great mid-climax. This symphony is such a wonderful relief from those. It defies the notion that great symphonies after Ludwig can't be written in the traditional way, with a purely musically aesthetic direction. I urge you to listen to Beethoven's symphonies, then to this one.

Symphony No.4:
The third movement is what will propel you to listening to this entire symphony. Out of all the symphonies not counting the first two, this one can seem a little tired. Certainly not as well argued as the third. But nevertheless, you will find it a great listen if you take the time.

Symphony No.5:
Next to the third, this is my favorite Dvorak symphony. Like that one, the thread of inspiration is continuous: this is music that will stick in your head the way the "Ode to Joy" theme will... (that is NOT a comparison of the themes). The finale movement will have you convinced that Dvorak is one of the greatest composers of all time (that doesn't have to be true, but you might feel that way.) What amazes me about this last movement is that Dvorak can pull off a bring-down-the-house climax without bringing it down on himself. As I mentioned before, he doesn't need all those exotic percussions to convince you that he is great...lovable though those cymbals et al may be.

Symphony No.6:
Sometimes you are allowed to hear that this is an underrated symphony. Most people wouldn't know anyhow, since Symphonies 7, 8, and 9 are the most marketed. And this is a great symphony, though not as powerfully argued than the third or fifth. It is a little more what we think of as `Dvorakian'. Composing strong finales was something Dvorak seems to have been good at, and this is no exception. Once again, the symphony is a consistent and continuous thread of inspiration: all the movements fit together. It is exciting and lyrical. Underrated yes, but not nearly as underrated as the 3rd and 5th.

Symphony No.7:
This is the most un-Dvorakian symphony that Dvorak wrote: here it can be said that Dvorak really was under some other composer's unfluence: Brahms. The result is not as interesting as it may sound. Not to me anyhow.
Nevertheless, what we have here is wonderfully original music. In the one movement that Dvorak sounds like himself, the third movement, we hear what is probably his best movement in the entire canon. It is very arresting music aurally: this is music that makea you feel that it was MEANT to be written. When I listen to this movement, it opens with what to me sounds like a kind of `swimming' music, something in the water pushing around. Something that propels: sometimes strongly, sometimes softly. This is yet another example of how amazing Dvorak's inspiration was: beautiful and lyrical, but also propelling and powerful.

Symphony No.8:
Some rate this far higher than the New World Symphony. Partly this is because they've grown tired Dvorak's last symphony, and partly because it IS better. This symphony is to Dvorak what the Seventh is to Beethoven, top-tier, but not recognized by the general public (perhaps not true anymore). This symphony is joyous, and pure joy.

Symphony No.9:
In some ways I wish I had come to this symphony last, but like most people it was my first Dvorak. I now know this symphony like the back of my hand, and I'm still in love with it, even though I sometimes give it a more `passive' listen. But for newcomers to Dvorak, this is truly the best. A grand-scale symphony that is SO inspired you may not get it out of your head for months.
Slow movement: this was the first slow movement of any symphony that I enjoyed. Afterwards I was actually able to listen to the Adagio from that other Great Ninth: Beethoven's.
Fast movements: I suppose you're allowed to say that this is kind of a `program' symphony, but it is not written like one, and the story of Hiawatha -considered to be the inspiration--was an afterthought in any case (a big debacle too!)
In any case, Dvorak unloads the full adventurous spirit on us...this is symphonic meat indeed, full-blooded pedigree.
In some ways, you need to listen to this symphony first to get hold of the Dvorak idiom. And after you traverse from No.1 back to No.9, you can find yourself appreciating it once again.

Dvorak isn't one of those composers whom I feel sorry for because he gets beaten up verbally so much by his detractors...he can hold his own ground without my help. It's his critics I feel sorry for, for beating themselves up trying to convince themselves that Dvorak was a bad composer on the grounds that he didn't break new `ground'. Just remember who was thought to be old-fashioned in HIS day: none other than J.S. Bach himself. His own sons were embarrassed by his reputation for old-fashionedness. But Bach has more than held his own high seat in the history of music, and I believe it will be the case with Dvorak as well.

Amen.

Kertesz was the one of the greatest conductors of Antonin Dvorak. His traversal here with the London Symphony Orchestra remained one of the few complete cycles of the symphonies for nearly two decades. Although some more recent cycles have been popping up (Jarvi's cycle with the Scottish National Orchestra is a prime example), this set still holds up as one of the definitive cycles of these great works.

Kertez was a true musical genius. His ability to learn and absorb scores so quickly and efficiently was quite unusual, even for conductors. This ability, coupled with his unique conducting practices, brought great color to these symphonies. Never a fan of rehearsals, Kertez never over-rehearsed any music he recorded. Rather, he liked to keep the players on their toes, if you will, keeping a level of spontaneity and energy rarely matched by other conductors. Furthermore, the London Symphony was not very familiar with Dvorak (unfortunately, orchestra's are still not familiar with the earlier symphonies), and the "newness' of the works only ads to the spontaneous, rustic sound created by the orchestra. And what a sound! The brass, especially the trombones, executes their parts powerfully and majestically. The woodwinds play with a level of sublimity rarely found in Dvorak. The stings create a wonderful rustic sound that suites Dvorak quite well. As a musician deeply routed in the folk tradition, this rustic quality only adds to that folk feel. All in all, the performances are, on a whole, so good, it seems odd that the orchestra was not familiar with the works. This is a great way to become familiar to the less popular, but by no means less delightful, early symphonies. Although the recordings are analog and there is a bit of an audible hiss in the background, the overall sound is very good, as to be expected from London Decca. And at a bargain price, this set just becomes more attractive. A fantastic addition to any CD collection.

I agree with Bob Zeidler that the music is terrific. I am not a musicologist, so my review is just about what I hear from the heart. Not knowing Dvorak's first five symphonies, I have nothing to compare them with. But who cares, they have been a pleasant surprise. Symphonies #'s 6, 7 & 8 are wonderful. However, I have a cassette (I used to have the record) of the 9th with Rafael Kubelik and The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in a recording made in the late 1950's or early '60's. I adore that recording better than anyone else's. Maybe it's because it's the first recording I heard of the 9th and I can't find any recording that I like better. However, 8 out of 9 ain't bad, and I do LIKE the 9th by Kertesz.

On that note, I've been replacing my old records with the same exact recordings on CD. Do I detect a trend here?

I agree with Bob about the sidebreaks where Symphony #2 is split between discs 1 & 2 and Symphony #5 is split between discs 3 & 4, which can be very annoying. The distribution of the overtures could have been spread out more evenly and perhaps the addition of the "Hussite Overture" (and others if available) could have been added, but you don't need an extra CD to do that. If the set ever sells out, perhaps the people who make London CD's could redistribute the 6 CD set (AND IT SHOULD NEVER GO OUT OF PRINT) by making a few small changes. Symphonies #'s 1 & 2 could be placed on CD's #'s 1 & 2, respectivly with an overture or two coupled with each. Symphonies #'s 3 & 9, could be on CD #3, Symphonies #'s 4 & 8 on CD # 4 and Symphonies #'s 5 & 7 on CD #5. That leaves Symphony # 6 with perhaps The Hussite Overture (and another Dvorak piece by Kertesz if time allows). Still, the same number of CD's would be needed, only their distribution would be more even and, in my opinion, more satisfying.