Home Thoughts From Abroad

There have been a few disks considered here featuring the music of Dvorak but the rotation off of the shelf has finally come around to the two "biggies" in terms of popularity and, I think it is fair to say, quality; Symphony No 8 and Symphony No 9 ( from the new world ). They are played on this disk by the Berliner Philharmoniker but given an authentic Czech slant by the conductor Rafael Kubelik. There's a strong argument for considering these the two most approachable of all symphonies for the layman, not just those of Dvorak but in general terms. There are so many memorable themes that seem to succeed each other continuously and should satisfy the most demanding of "big tune" addicts. But the logic and musical development are also of the highest quality. The 8th is in no way overshadowed by the even more ubiquitous New World . The latter launched a whole idea of American music evoking the wide open prairies and big skies, that continued through Copland and other of his contemporaries onto Hollywood western soundtracks of varying merit. but ironically, Dvorak wrote it as a look back home to his native Czech countryside for which he was increasingly homesick while working in the cityscape of New York. Certainly stray influences of earlier Czech nationalist compositions by such as Smetana are discernable. For all the familiarity of the piece, the blazing finale of the 9th is an undeniably triumphant way to bow out.