Search - Antonin Dvorak, Yakov Kreizberg, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra :: Dvorák: Symphony No. 8; The Wild Dove; The Noon Witch [Hybrid SACD]

Dramatic Readings of Dvorák's 8th and Two Tone Poems in Luxu

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 08/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""His [Dvorák's] Symphony in G is very nearly up to the level of a Rossini overture, and would make excellent promenade music at the summer fêtes out in the grounds." - George Bernard Shaw



That opinion was typical of the response to Dvorák's Eighth Symphony in the years immediately after its première in 1890. Audiences, however, took to it immediately and it eventually achieved great popularity among both listeners and critics alike. This work, of all of Dvorák's symphonies, strays the furthest from the Brahmsian model. It seems to consist, on first hearing, of one fine tune after another with not much in the way of classical formal construction. Indeed, it seems almost to be weaving a narrative although there is no program attached to it by Dvorák. There is, however, a plenitude of folksong-like melody. And although it is generally considered to be one of Dvorák's sunniest works, it contains a fair amount of drama. This aspect of the symphony is emphasized in this performance by the Netherlands Philharmonic under the direction of their music director, Jakov Kreizberg, a conductor I have come more and more to admire. Kreizberg particularly emphasizes the sense of mystery and anguish in the symphony's Adagio. This, as well as lighter moments as in the lilting third movement, is aided by the extraordinarily rich sound provided on this SACD recording from Pentatone. It is rare to hear winds and brass given such deep velvet tones in their lower registers in addition to limpid presence in the upper range. Every instrument can be heard with startling clarity. Upper partials in the strings at, say, the end of the second movement, are heard with striking fidelity. The only other SACD recording of this symphony that I know is that by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra; the present recording puts it in the shade.



The value of this issue is enhanced by performances of two of Dvorák's not-often-programmed last works, the tone poems 'Holoubek' ('The Wild Dove') and 'Polednice' ('The Noon Witch'), both taken from grisly folk tales written by Karel Erben. While not precisely narrative, these works present the mood of the two tales. 'The Wild Dove' is about a young wife who poisons her husband in order to marry a handsome young man, only to become convinced that the cries of a dove living in a tree that shades her husband's grave is actually the voice of her husband. She goes insane from remorse and commits suicide. 'The Noon Witch' is about a young mother who warns her naughty child that if it doesn't behave a witch will come at noon and take it away. To her horror, a witch does appear and in her efforts to protect the child she accidentally suffocates it. Her husband returns to find the mother with the dead child's body in her arms. Dvorák's attempt to imitate in music the speech of the Witch influenced Janácek's efforts to imitate Czech speech rhythms in his music. The performances of these two tone poems could not be bettered; Kreizberg conveys the drama and horror grippingly. The Netherlands Philharmonic, not generally considered a top-rank ensemble, plays with both conviction and beauty of execution.



This is a strong recommendation.



Scott Morrison"