Search - Antonin Dvorak, Andrew Davis, David Zinman :: Dvorák: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; In Nature; Serenade for Winds; Serenade for Strings, etc. [Box Set]

Great value!

Henry Goodwin | 06/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think this 7 cd set is totally worth the low price.

I can't find any review of this set of CDs online, so I did some research after I bought it.

It is the first CD release of Sir Andrew Davis's complete Dvorak's symphonies.

These recordings were made between 1978-1982 by CBS. (ADD/DDD)

SONY DSD remaster eliminated most of the early digital sound problems.

PO players produced warm and dramatic sounds.

The still young Andrew Davis did a great job adding his personal reading of the scores. I like his slower tempo treatment of Symphony No. 9.

Symphony no.1,3 and the Carnival overture are also great.

Only down side is the linear notes is too short, and lack of detail.

Dvorak's music always bring me the love for life. I hope you will enjoy it too.





"

Good professional run-throughs at a super-bargain price

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/21/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This big Dvorak box, which has jumped over to BMG from perpetual hibernation on Sony, deserves four stars as a supr-bargain choice on the used market. Andrew Davis leads perfectly competent, if polite, readings of everything here. Once in a while, as in Sym. #1 and #2, he becomes animated, and the pace picks up, but you can't center an entire Dvorak cycle on the early works when your readings of Sym. #5-9 are basically run throughs. The London Phil. is an experienced free lance orchestra that gets work doing movie soundtracks, so one can expect them to be old pros with little rehearsal.



In addition, the woodwinds of the LPO have that peculiar rustic tang, which adds a good del of color to an otherwise straightforward Wind Serenade. The String Serenade, however, dozes along for the most part. When I reviewed the Sixth Sym. on Sony, I found Davis perplexingly bland (was he really ever young?), and I still do, but you'll get higher quality execution here than if you go for the complete symphonies on Naxos. And it's nice to get so many extras, including the Slavonic Dances -- these are done with some affection, happily.



If you can afford to buy a mid-price Dvorak symphony cycle, the classic Kertesz on Decca hasn't been bettered in almost forty years. But if money matters, Davis is never less than medium good. Just don't expect to view Dvorak from the mountain top."