It’s so nice to hear the wonderful Czech Philharmonic on a different record label after being smothered in excess warmth and an airless acoustic on Supraphon practically forever. And even though Pentatone has almost entirely abandoned their dedication to the SACD format (and along with it their proclamations of providing cutting-edge, state-of-the-art recorded sound), the sound of this fabulous orchestra on this latest release is excellent – even on good ol’ fashioned CD. They sound positively rejuvenated with sparkle and life, air and spaciousness, precision and detail, dynamics and power without heaviness – all while retaining their glowing beauty of sound we are accustomed to hearing from them.
It’s also so nice to hear them play with a conductor other than humdrum Semyon Bychkov, who has been recording a lot with them, also for Pentatone. My description of the orchestra above must be attributed as much to their conductor on this recording, Tomas Netopil, as to the recording engineers. I’ve not encountered this conductor before, but based upon this showing, he is adept at commanding an orchestra’s attention – energizing them to life and keeping them engaged and on their toes. And that’s exactly what Dvorak’s set of Legends needs. There is never a dull moment here, or a slack tempo, or lapse in musical alertness under his direction. I don’t ever remember hearing these enchanting musical gems come to life as much as here; nor do I ever remember hearing the Czech Philharmonic come to life on record as much as here. Their playing is ever responsive to Netopil’s every gesture, every subtlety of ebb-and-flow rubato, every nuance in the line, every caress of a phrase. And at all times, the music is delightfully lilting and buoyant, with naturally flowing tempos which propel the music along with a newfound spring in its step. Dvorak’s Legends are rarely completely satisfying on record; they don’t just play themselves, as, for example, his Slavonic Dances can. They require inspired leadership and real insight from a conductor who can bring sufficient light-and-dark shadings, infused with life and vitality, to really make them sing. And in this regard, Netopil succeeds where most others fall flat.
The 3 Slavonic Rhapsodies, recorded a year-and-a-half later, are not quite as outstanding. There is just a touch of the residual thickness to tutti passages which was largely absent in the Legends. Nevertheless, Netopil’s gift of bringing this music to life is everywhere evident, and he rarely allows the music to sag down under its own weight. While there’s no denying these are grander, heavier works, Netopil does his utmost to keep them flowing aloft without too much grandiosity. The more familiar Third is certainly the best of the bunch, due in part to its lighter, happier writing. Indeed, the orchestra clearly sounds to be enjoying themselves. And considering they’ve surely played it a thousand times, it’s remarkable how fresh and invigorating it sounds in Netopil’s hands. In fact, he comes very close to matching Dorati’s incomparable 1979 Decca recording of it with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (only sporadically available in big-box, all-Dorati compilations which seem to come and go with the wind). While the recording is not quite as airy and sparkling as in the Legends, it’s more than satisfactory.
The production is first rate – though the informative booklet sadly makes no mention whatsoever of Netopil, which is stupid on Pentatone’s part; he’s a wonderful conductor in this repertoire and is the primary reason this recording is special. However, along with excellent recorded sound and an astonishing 80+ minutes playing time, this is a most enjoyable release. It’s truly inspiring to hear how wonderful the Czech Philharmonic can really sound.
It’s also so nice to hear them play with a conductor other than humdrum Semyon Bychkov, who has been recording a lot with them, also for Pentatone. My description of the orchestra above must be attributed as much to their conductor on this recording, Tomas Netopil, as to the recording engineers. I’ve not encountered this conductor before, but based upon this showing, he is adept at commanding an orchestra’s attention – energizing them to life and keeping them engaged and on their toes. And that’s exactly what Dvorak’s set of Legends needs. There is never a dull moment here, or a slack tempo, or lapse in musical alertness under his direction. I don’t ever remember hearing these enchanting musical gems come to life as much as here; nor do I ever remember hearing the Czech Philharmonic come to life on record as much as here. Their playing is ever responsive to Netopil’s every gesture, every subtlety of ebb-and-flow rubato, every nuance in the line, every caress of a phrase. And at all times, the music is delightfully lilting and buoyant, with naturally flowing tempos which propel the music along with a newfound spring in its step. Dvorak’s Legends are rarely completely satisfying on record; they don’t just play themselves, as, for example, his Slavonic Dances can. They require inspired leadership and real insight from a conductor who can bring sufficient light-and-dark shadings, infused with life and vitality, to really make them sing. And in this regard, Netopil succeeds where most others fall flat.
The 3 Slavonic Rhapsodies, recorded a year-and-a-half later, are not quite as outstanding. There is just a touch of the residual thickness to tutti passages which was largely absent in the Legends. Nevertheless, Netopil’s gift of bringing this music to life is everywhere evident, and he rarely allows the music to sag down under its own weight. While there’s no denying these are grander, heavier works, Netopil does his utmost to keep them flowing aloft without too much grandiosity. The more familiar Third is certainly the best of the bunch, due in part to its lighter, happier writing. Indeed, the orchestra clearly sounds to be enjoying themselves. And considering they’ve surely played it a thousand times, it’s remarkable how fresh and invigorating it sounds in Netopil’s hands. In fact, he comes very close to matching Dorati’s incomparable 1979 Decca recording of it with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (only sporadically available in big-box, all-Dorati compilations which seem to come and go with the wind). While the recording is not quite as airy and sparkling as in the Legends, it’s more than satisfactory.
The production is first rate – though the informative booklet sadly makes no mention whatsoever of Netopil, which is stupid on Pentatone’s part; he’s a wonderful conductor in this repertoire and is the primary reason this recording is special. However, along with excellent recorded sound and an astonishing 80+ minutes playing time, this is a most enjoyable release. It’s truly inspiring to hear how wonderful the Czech Philharmonic can really sound.
