Album

For listeners who want just a few of the better-known Czech orchestral warhorses from the latter part of the nineteenth century performed with power and panache, here is a two-disc set from Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic, in wonderfully remastered sound by Deutsche Grammophon. But while one cannot but praise the effortless smoothness of Karajan's conducting and the ravishing sumptuousness of the Berlin Philharmonic, one cannot in good conscience recommend this disc to anyone who truly loves Czech music of the latter part of the nineteenth century—because, for all the polish and precision of most of these performances, they have next to nothing to do with Czech music. In these recordings, Dvorák's Slavonic Dances are exciting but faceless, and his Ninth is neither from the New World or the Old World, but from the cool depths of sonic space. The two excerpts from Smetana's Má Vlast are brilliantly played wholly nondescript, and his three dances from The Bartered Bride are more irritating than exciting. And amazingly enough, the Vienna Philharmonic's performance of Dvorák's Eighth is so relaxed as to be sloppy, or as sloppy as the VPO is ever likely to get. A great set for anyone who has nothing by Dvorák and Smetana, but completely unnecessary for those who already know their music.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Symphony No.8 in G, B.163, Op.88 (first published as No.4) Work Recorded 1985 36:50 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Allegro con brio	9:50			$1.49
2	2.Adagio	11:21			$1.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegretto grazioso	5:36			$0.99
4	4.Allegro ma non troppo	10:03			$1.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Symphony No.9 in E- ('From the New World'), Op.95 Work Recorded 1964 41:54 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Adagio. Allegro molto	9:22			$1.49
6	2.Largo (containing theme 'Going Home')	13:11			$2.49
7	3.Scherzo: Molto vivace	8:15			$1.49
8	4.Allegro con fuoco	11:06			$1.99
CD 2 of 2
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer 8 Slavonic Dances, B.83, Op.46 (after piano 4-hands version) Work Recorded 1959 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Presto in C	3:33			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Slavonic Dances, B.145, Op.72 Work Recorded 1959 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
2	2.Allegretto grazioso in E-	4:59			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer 8 Slavonic Dances, B.83, Op.46 (after piano 4-hands version) Work Recorded 1959 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
3	3.Poco allegro in Ab	4:44			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer 8 Slavonic Dances, B.147, Op.72 (after piano 4-hands version) Work Recorded 1959 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
4	8.Grazioso e lento in Ab	6:33			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer 8 Slavonic Dances, B.83, Op.46 (after piano 4-hands version) Work Recorded 1959 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	7.Allegro assai in C-	3:17			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Scherzo capriccioso, B.131, Op.66 Work Recorded 1971 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
6	Scherzo capriccioso, B.131, Op.66	13:05			$2.49
Bedrich Smetana Composer Má vlast (My Fatherland), JB 1:112 Work Recorded 1967 28:05 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
7	1.Vysehrad	15:45			$2.49
8	2.Vltava (The Moldau)	12:20			$1.99
Bedrich Smetana Composer The Bartered Bride (Prodaná nevesta; opera), JB 1:100...Act 1 Work Recorded 1971 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
9	12.Durch die Reihen hinzufliegen (Polka)	5:31			$0.99
Bedrich Smetana Composer The Bartered Bride (Prodaná nevesta; opera), JB 1:100...Act 2 Work Recorded 1971 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
10	2.Furiant	2:30			$0.99
Bedrich Smetana Composer The Bartered Bride (Prodaná nevesta; opera), JB 1:100...Act 3 Work Recorded 1971 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
11	4.Ballet of the Comedians (Skocná)	5:36			$0.99