Search - Antonin Dvorak, Ivan Fisher, Budapest Festival Orchestra :: Dvorak: Slavonic Dances

Ivan Fischer takes a muted view of Dvorák's delectable Slavonic Dances, downplaying the dance element in these lively pieces. So we get generally slower tempos than usual, emphasis on strings at the expense of the all-important winds, and a similar stress on the lyrical elements over the zippy dance rhythms we expect. The result is an interesting take on these familiar pieces, but they'll still come as a bit of a shock to those accustomed to the established leaders in the Slavonic Dances sweepstakes. Szell, Kubelik, and the historic Talich recordings all project more sheer energy and brio. The lovely opening of Op. 46 No. 3, for example, has an irresistible lyric poetry, although others capture both the poetry and the dancelike swing of the melody. And the opening of Op. 72 No. 8, for all its charm, sounds leaden alongside rivals who make the slow melody bloom with a more flowing tempo. But Fischer's is a valid alternative view that has its own appeal. --Dan Davis