Search - Antonin Dvorak, Vaclav Talich, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra :: Dvorák: Symphonic poems

Emblematic and sonorous performances!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 11/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you required me about the other three champion directors (apart Talich) in absolute domain of the spirit, flavor and accurate expressiveness around Dvorak's works, three names would come to my mind: Ferenc Fricsay, Istvan Kertesz and Rafael Kubelik.



But none of them has been able to surpass and obviously even equal the supreme domain and thundering musicality as Talich did.



He established with the Czech Philharmonic that rapport like nobody else. The proud of playing the most prominent and remarkable composer ever born is by itself a fact that transcends the simple patriotism. Mercurial energy and superb distinction are among others some of the most notable adjectives to qualify this artistic achievement.

"

One of the choicest Talich reissues

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 05/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Czech recording techniques ween't always reliable in the 30s and 40s, the heyday of Talich's reign with the Czech Phil., but these are good pressings that have been very well cleaned up. YOu would hardly guess that the vintage is 1949 and 1951. There is plenty of space around the orchestra, not the dry, cramped sound one usually settles for, and although clarity isn't the best, the sonic quality is close to what Furtwangler was getting right after the war.



The interpretations are self-recommending. No one has surpassed Talich and his beloved orchestra for energy and completely idiomatic flavor in Dvorak. Better still is the repertoire: Dvorak's late, neglected tone poems. I agree with the reviewer below that Kertesz and Kubelik are also masters of these four sizable works, all based on peculiar and sometimes horrific Czech fairy tales, but one should add the name of Niklaus Harnoncourt, whose recent stereo versions have been gathered together on a single CD (they originally came as fillers to Dvorak symphonies). Except for the absence of up-to-date sound, however, these Talich readings run away with the competition. Highly recommended."