Vaclav Talich - Dvorak: Symphony No. 6 (1938) [2006]

How many symphonies did Dvorak write? The simple answer is nine - but it would not seem to be so simple to the listening public at the time of this recording, which is clearly labelled "Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 60". Indeed for many years there were just five officially numbered symphonies, with the other four published posthumously (the manuscript of the first had been lost to the composer himself). Thus the composer referred himself to this as his first symphony; we've chosen for the sake of clarity to use the modern numbering system, which started to be used in the late 1950s. (There is much opportunity for confusion - the 'New World' Symphony has variously been numbered 5, 8 and 9!)

This symphony, rather less well known than it perhaps deserves, shows both the influence of Brahms' 2nd Symphony, particularly in the outer movements, though the central two are pure Dvorak, with a beautiful, stirring Adagio second movement, and the wonderful Scherzo, remeniscent of his Slavonic Dances. Indeed when the work was premiered, its enthusiastic reception led to the third movement being played again as an encore, and it's that movement which we've chosen to highlight here.

The recording here, made in Abbey Road in 1938, is one which has roots leading right back to the composer himself. Talich, whose name was synonymous with the Czech Philharmonic for nearly forty years, had both heard Dvorak play and met the composer as a young man. His handling of Dvorak's music, arguably that of the greatest Czech composer, is second to none, and the orchestra is superb, with all but two of the ten sides done in the first take. Wonderful music-making to savour!


Tracks:

DVORAK: Symphony No. 6

Personnel:

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Vaclav Talich