There have been dozens of impressive international performances of Dvorák's Eighth and Ninth: the driven Toscanini, the opulent Karajan, the dramatic Solti, the heroic Kertesz, the rhythmic Rowicki, and the symphonic Davis among many others. But the performances that best catch the lilt of the melodies, the sway of the rhythms, and the pungency of the blend of Dvorák's music are the Czech performances: the sweet-toned Talich, the gracefully angular Ancerl, and the achingly lyrical Kubelík. These 2005 recordings by Charles ...
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There have been dozens of impressive international performances of Dvorák's Eighth and Ninth: the driven Toscanini, the opulent Karajan, the dramatic Solti, the heroic Kertesz, the rhythmic Rowicki, and the symphonic Davis among many others. But the performances that best catch the lilt of the melodies, the sway of the rhythms, and the pungency of the blend of Dvorák's music are the Czech performances: the sweet-toned Talich, the gracefully angular Ancerl, and the achingly lyrical Kubelík. These 2005 recordings by Charles Mackerras with the Prague Symphony Orchestra surely belong among that special group. They belong there not just because the Prague Symphony performs with the radiant tone and effortless sense of evanescence that come naturally to Czech musicians or because the performances were recorded by Supraphon with the depth of field and immediacy of presence customary to that company. They belong there because Mackerras is about as close to being a Czech conductor as a fellow born in...
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