COMPOSERS: Dvorak
LABELS: DG
WORKS: Symphony No. 7; Symphony No. 8; Symphony No. 9; Carnival Overture
PERFORMER: Vienna PO/Lorin Maazel
CATALOGUE NO: 453 124-2 Reissue (1982-4)
Maazel's performances of Dvorak's last three symphonies are eminently respectable. Not everyone will welcome the slightly schmaltzy way with the scherzo of the Eighth, the rubato in the first movement of the same symphony or the wayward tempo in the first movement of the New World Symphony, but there is also much to admire, not least the mostly superb playing of the Vienna Philharmonic - a pity that the early Eighties sound did not allow slightly more transparency or bloom. As a whole the performance of the Seventh is the most successful with a persuasive blend of intellect and expressiveness. Jan Smaczny
Dvorak: Symphony No. 7; Symphony No. 8; Symphony No. 9; Carnival Overture
Maazel's performances of Dvorak's last three symphonies are eminently respectable. Not everyone will welcome the slightly schmaltzy way with the scherzo of the Eighth, the rubato in the first movement of the same symphony or the wayward tempo in the first movement of the New World Symphony, but there is also much to admire, not least the mostly superb playing of the Vienna Philharmonic - a pity that the early Eighties sound did not allow slightly more transparency or bloom.
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:49 pm