Search - Antonin Dvorak, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra :: Dvorák: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 8

Almost perfect

dvorakfan | USA | 12/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dvorak's symphonies are highly neglected masterpieces which need to be brought into the concert hall far more frequently. His Fourth, at least to me, is the least enjoyable of his early symphonies but still radiates glorious melodies. Gunzenhauser and the Slovak Philharmonic once again give us an outstanding performance of this work. The first movement brings gorgeous harmonies from the strings, and the woodwinds once again contribute their best in the second movement. The Slavic flair is felt greatly in the third movement (the Trio section with its cymbal clashes has outstanding precision in terms of execution), and the orchestra brings a beautiful conclusion to the symphony in the finale. This is a first-class performance in every way.Dvorak's Eighth is his second most popular symphony behind his ubiquitous New World symphony. It has all the gorgeous melodies you'd expect from Dvorak, but this time Gunzenhauser does not give us a top notch performance. The first movement is too relaxed and the climax of the development section is not powerful enough to make a strong impact. The same criticisms apply to the second movement, which needs more impetus. However, Gunzenhauser's relaxed conducting works well in the third movement, which flows naturally and gracefully. The famous finale is also quite well done, though once again it's slightly reserved and this detracts from the overall excitement. Nonetheless, this disc can be recommended to those looking for super bargain recordings of these works, especially since the Fourth is played wonderfully and the sound is warm and natural throughout. For those looking for a superior digital recording of the Eighth, however, this is not the disc you want. Rather, the top recommendation for it is Christoph von Donhanyi's recording with the Cleveland Orchestra on Decca, one of his finest accomplishments."

Fiery, joyful, banal and executed flawlessly

Timothy Mikolay | Pittsburgh, PA | 02/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dvorak's fourth is probably his most banal but Gunzenhauser and the Slovak orchestra really drive the music. It's Dvorak's most turbulent symphony and is certainly worth listening to. An outstanding performance!The eighth symphony, full of wonderful melodies is again well presented on this disc. The engineering of Gunzenhauser's Dvorak cycle affords the listener the rare opportunity to hear woodwind playing that is rarely ever heard on any CD. The playing for this work is spirited, delicate and never underminds the balance of timbre Dvorak incoporated into his score. What a terrific CD!!!"