Search - Dvorak, Janacek, Masur :: Symphony 8 / Sinfonietta

Masur does it again!

Brett A. Kniess | 03/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In an attempt to qualify or quantify this recording, I must admit, I am biased toward most music written by Dvorak, but more so, the Janacek. In my opinion, the Dvorak Symphony 8 certainly rivals his popular Symphony NO. 9 "New World". It is rich with slavik folk harmonies and rhythms. In this work , however, Dvorak is very eclectic in style, sounding like Rachmaninoff in one section, and like Haydn in the next. The New York Phil. brass section plays the opening Janacek fanfare to pieces. The rest of the work doesn't even need to be played, except that the recording gets even better as it goes on. If you are not familiar with Sinfonietta, each movement portrays a different vingette of Janacek's hometown. The harmonies are once again, wild and untamed, as is often associated with Janacek. The New York Phil.'s live recording under Kurt Masur are at their height in this recording. It rivals that of Bernstein.Also look up Janacek's Glagolitic Mass with the most glorious organ solo ever written, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras on the Chandos label."