Dvorak: Symphony No. 9; "From The New World"

Dvorak (Composer), Alsop (Conductor), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Alsop
• Composer: Dvorak
• Audio CD (May 27, 2008)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B0017PE9L8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,864 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

NPR.org, April 19, 2008, Scott Simon

"The New World Symphony is for me, above all, a journey -- Dvorak's journey to America, getting to know its people. But more importantly, it's Dvorak's own spiritual and emotional journey: from his intense longing for his beloved Bohemia to the thrill of the "new world" and its varied peoples, to thoughts of going home." - Marin Alsop

Product Description

This recording by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Marin Alsop is the first of three discs of Dvořák symphonies taken from live performances at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The most popular of all Dvořák's works, Symphony No. 9 `From the New World' makes an immediate appeal by virtue of a seemingly inexhaustible flow of melody and sparkling orchestration. Based on a melody he had composed earlier for men's chorus, I am a fiddler, the Symphonic Variations are one of the composer's most beautifully crafted and beguiling works.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Crafted, Warm and Light, Only Occasionally Idiosyncratic, February 16, 2009

By 

Leslie Richford (Selsingen, Lower Saxony) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dvorak: Symphony No. 9; "From The New World" (Audio CD)

Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904): Symphonic Variations, Op. 78; Symphony No. 9 "from the New World", Op. 95. Performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, dir. Marin Alsop. Recorded at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Maryland, from 8th to 10th and 14th to 17th June, 2007. Published in 2008 as Naxos 8.570714. Total playing time: 64'44".

Thank heavens that, as an early music fan, I have nothing to do with all the petty squabbling and jealousies which seem to surround certain classical music artists. I have just been listening to this CD on good stereo equipment (see my profile; I find it ridiculous that people actually write reviews after just hearing this on the radio or after downloading it, presumably in some low-quality compressed format.) What I heard was a beautifully crafted, warm and light, only occasionally idiosyncratic version of Dvorak's "New World", played by first-class musicians and captured, by Naxos standards at any rate, in superb stereo sound which reveals all the detail in a natural and very pleasing acoustic. The thundering brass of the last movement came over really well, the English horn of the Largo was evocatively played, the rhythms and the dialogue between the sets of strings and woodwinds were all not merely audible but also revelatory. The Largo was taken at a fairly relaxed pace, made up for by what I take to be some rather odd tempo variations in the Molto Vivace (although I am judging this from previous hearings of other performances, I don't own a score). But generally I would say that this is a recording of which Naxos can be proud and which may well prove to win many for classical music, which is what it's all about, I guess. Very pleasing indeed! - The disc opens with the "Symphonic Variations", which are not nearly as dull as another reviewer has suggested. In fact, if you listen to them on good-quality headphones, you will hear not only some extremely fine, well-crafted music, but also some excellent musicianship - I had never realized that the strings could sound so sweet in places, and also the flutes made my heart beat a little faster. The whole disc makes Naxos's first attempt (a recording by Stephen Gunzenhauser with a Slovakian ensemble) pale into insignificance. At the Naxos price, nobody can go wrong here - and I beg casual listeners not to pay too much attention to the somewhat bitter remarks made by those who always seem to know better.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A decent price for a good ninth, June 28, 2008

By 

William A. Christian "software engineer" (Huntsville, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dvorak: Symphony No. 9; "From The New World" (Audio CD)

I just downloaded this and wanted to see what others were saying about this recording and discovered a single star. Sorry but this is a very decent recording of an old chestnut. It is worth more than a single star. I can't count how many time I have heard this piece played on recordings over 40 years. Alsop's interpretation is a good one and the recording is decently priced. I really do not think that anybody can claim to the greatest recording of this piece since most of the recordings of this are older. I also find that there is a good controlled emotional aspect to this recording. I realy do believe that this recording deserves a listen and the Naxos price is always good.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This might surprise even seasoned Dvorakians, November 15, 2011

By 

Jurgen Lawrenz (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dvorak: Symphony No. 9; "From The New World" (Audio CD)

The conductor's name was just a name to me until this recording came into my collection, more or less from mere curiosity.
Usually I'm suspicious of "No name" conductors, and usually the result confirms it. I have 40-odd readings of this work, of which probably half would not be missed if they burnt to a cinder. Accordingly I had a pleasant surprise on auditioning this album.
There is a splendid brio to it, an ample sense of forward drive, without the kind of exaggeration that Szell favoured. Rhythms are nicely profiled, climaxes well judged and executed, and the orchestra play really well. The balance with the brass section is also more than adequate. No qualms on that score. The first movement, despite its unnecessary acceleration on the last page is an undoubted success. Better readings than this don't come by the dozen, I assure you.
The slow movement is also finely crafted; I like especially the subtle way the basses fade in and out: they are a presence, but not too obtrusive or abrupt as is often the case. This is being so, I feel that the reeds should also have attacked the first notes of their tunes in this manner, but to change a wind players habits might require the authority of a big ego conductor!?
The scherzo is a slight downside. Strangely, the rhythms, although snappily placed, seem the wrong kind here; this is after the manner of Dvorak's slavonic dances and their sharp etching leaves us with rigorously "symphonic" rather than "folksy" feeling - similar to the way that Beethoven turned the Menuet into a scherzo; but this is precisely not the Beethovenian type of scherzo.
The last movement redeems matters again. In fact it is probably the best movement of the recording, and therefore leaves us with a good feeling when it all ends. As in the first movement, the conductor adopt a brisk tempo, but builds climaxes with good judgement and avoids the temptation to drive too hard. The brass section have a field day here, evidently encouraged to blast away to their hearts content, and they paint a splendid patch of gold over the proceedings.
The performance of the Symphonic Variations is of a quality to match.
The recorded sound is brilliant, without being overly bright. It sounds close, but natural, and no-one could complain about it. Both soli and tutti sound in character for an orchestra, and one is grateful that the mixer has left his witches cauldron of buttons and dial largely untouched.