Search - Antonin Dvorak, Cesar Franck, Fritz Lehmann :: Dvorák: Sinfonie Nr. 8

Maybe for Lehmann fans

Jeffrey Lee | Asheville area, NC USA | 03/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Though Fritz Lehmann"s Dvorak Eighth exhibits a number of nice touches, it might have benefitted from a more supple approach. While the dynamic first movement comes across well enough, it is primarily in the slower, more sensitive middle movements where the conductor adheres fairly to a slightly deliberate, wooden phrasing of individual notes which seems to negate somewhat the extended, easy flowing quality of Dvorak's essential lyricism. Otherwise, the recorded sound leaves something to be desired. Though DGG makes mention of its "...legendary...sound of the 1950s", some measure of clarity is absent. Comparatively speaking, DGG's "Originals" set featuring Eugen Jochum directing the Four Brahms Symphonies from the 1950s offers noticeably cleaner and more well defined sonics. Moreover, there are a number of passages for horn in this Dvorak where glare is evident. For magnificent Dvorak Eighths go to Kubelik, Kertesz, Barbirolli and Talich.



As for Lehmann's Franck d minor, it doesn't really project the kind of power and drive Monteux, Munch and Klemperer bring to their stunning performances. Nor is there the kind of attention to detail that firmly underscores the Symphony's moments of mystery, tension and tranquil beauty. In addition, the combination of Lehmann/Bamberg Symphony does not summon the sense of scale that constitutes another salient feature of this piece. There is no lack of sincerity here, but the effort doesn't seem to offer much that is noteworthy. In closing, unless one is an avid Fritz Lehmann fan, I see little reason to emphatically recommend this cd, particulaly since there are both other superbly executed and recorded (mainly stereo) versions of these works so readily available."

Treasurable

David Saemann | 01/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had not associated Fritz Lehmann's name with Czech and French music, so this disc was a great find. These are two of my favorite, perhaps THE favorite, performances of these symphonies. The sound on the Dvorak is clear, with a lot of presence, but gets cramped in some of the tuttis. The performance is brisk and exciting, beautifully articulated with the subordinate figurations always clear. The string sound of the orchestra is somewhat grainy, but this doesn't detract from a reading where every bar is deeply felt, yet integrated coherently into the whole. I have no reservations about the Franck. Here the mono sound is actually luscious. The interpretation is big and gutsy, with a tremendous feel for the symphony's organ-like sonorities. The work's lyricism is never slighted, though. Here is a CD for anyone waiting to discover a great conductor whose work is underrepresented in the catalog."