Search - Antonin Dvorak, Vernon Handley, Ulster Orchestra :: Dvorák: In Nature's Realm; Carnival; Othello; Scherzo Capriccioso

Lively Dvorak from an unusual source!

05/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the "Carnival Overture" is very familiar and frequently recorded, the other pieces on this collection are comparatively rare. However, I came away from this disc thinking that all this music was first-rate Dvorak. I especially liked Handley's version of "In Nature's Realm," which I found particularly atmospheric. This music may not be as famous as Symphonies 8 + 9, the Cello Concerto, and the Slavonic Dances, but this disc is a must for all true Dvorakians."

Dvorak: "In Nature's Realm",Vernon Handley, conductor

Holly Lane | 03/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In Nature's Realm is a not only a rarely recorded composition, it is even rarer that it is grouped with Carinval and Othello, the other pieces that Dvorak composed with it as a set. These three works, plus the Scherzo Capriccioso displays Dvorak's range, from lyrical and at ease, to the romping, to tragic intensity to the lively and vigorous. Vernon Handley's interpretations are well paced, attuned and sparkle with clarity."

Great musical performances spoiled by short timing

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 07/04/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I don't argue with the other reviewers that have given this CD five stars for the music and the performances. Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra show they can take on Dvorak's romantic tone poetry with the temperament needed to realize these portraits of nature, Otello and absolute music.



My quibble -- and it is a large quibble -- is that this exquisitely manufactured CD contains only 52 minutes of music and continues to be marketed by Chandos as a full price CD for a list price of $17.98. That makes the music-value quotient substantially lower, in my opinion, since there is plenty of space to include one or two more Dvorak pieces. Had they done that, this would clearly have been a five star selection. As it is, the music alone is great but overpriced for what is offered.



The notes to this issue provides some background on all the music and a paragraph on the performers, who together have taken on many of Britain's greatest composers and a few others worldwide. Handley is clearly one of today's better conductors, with an ear and temperament for music of the 19th and 20th centuries that renders his performances always of the first rank. I have heard him perform equally well with British, Russian and, now, Czech music. He is clearly at home with a very wide repertoire and the evidence on this CD is more proof of his connection to both the orchestra and the romantic period.



However, I cannot in good faith recommend you spend full price on a recording with so little musical contents. If you can acquire this from an Amazon.com vendor for $14 or less, it is quite a buy. It is a wonderful musical selection in any event."