Recorded
in 1938, released (as Symphony No 1) on 5 HMV 78s, DB.5932-5936
Matrix numbers 2EA.6846-6850, 2EA.7151-7155
Takes: 1, 1, 2A, 1A, 1, 2A, 1, 1, 1A, 1
Download ID: 213471
(Duration
43'03")
Play
sample movement:
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!
When
I was in my 20's (1950's), it was thought that Dvorak had
composed only five symphonies and I was amazed that #1 (#6)
was of such high quality. The symphony has one of the most
entrancing openings in all music: as if the earth is taking
a few breaths before the first theme arrives. And what a theme:
so relaxed, so rustic, so redolent of forests and air and
flowers. And then the theme tightens up and is given as a
rhythmically powerful and full-throated fortissimo. The symphony
is magnificent throughout with a fiery scherzo and a finale
that presents a new and original mood and brings an emotionally
satisfying end to the work. After I learned that five symphonies
had preceded this work, its masterful craftmanship was explained.
I
prefer the Czech Philharmonic and Czech conductors in this
work. The Czech Philharmonic has such prominent and rustic-sounding
woodwinds and woodwinds are very important to Dvorak's textures,
often giving the first statements of the theme. I can resist
the brilliance of the Berlin Philharmonic with Kubelik; they
are a little too sophisticated and string-driven for this
work. Czech conductors know how to let Dvorak breathe and
impart a certain lilt and rubato that I think is essential.
I
have compared the first movement of the Dvorak 6th in three
performances, all with the Czech Philharmonic, all with Czech
conductors:
1.
Talich (1938) (Pristine Audio)
2.
Neuman (1983) (Supraphon)
3.
Ancerl (1966) (Supraphon)
The
Neuman can be easily dispensed with. It is rather matter-of-fact,
has a heavy bass emphasis and, because detail is not highlighted,
seems slower than the other two. It is very difficult to choose
between the Ancerl and the Talich. The Ancerl is very dynamic
and forward moving with thrilling fortissimi and brass and
tympany to the fore. Yet, he does let the phrases breathe
and the woodwinds are clear and forward. A splendid performance.
Yet, Talich has something different. The beginning is very
moderate as if the earth is awakening. While the fortissimi
are loud enough, they never seem to call attention to themselves.
There is never a hurry. A crucial moment is the transition
to the development where the strings linger in a mysterious
passage. The true climax is saved for the coda where the brass
blare urgently and then quiet down for the end.
I
do not want to imply any great superiority of the Talich over
the Ancerl, and in spite of Pristine Audio's very capable
remastering, the Ancerl far outpoints the Talich in sound.
But the Talich conveys a pastoral, spiritual quality that
is so appropriate for this symphony and that is perhaps no
no longer possible to create in the 21st century.
Download
our Illustrated Catalogue Complete
catalogue of recordings, fully indexed by composer and performer,
with links to website pages
Restoration
by Andrew Rose:
ADVERTISEMENT
Pristine Classical - bringing you DRM-free classical MP3 downloads
FAQ
FLAC downloads use lossless compression - when replayed or transferred to disc they are bit- identical to original recordings.
16 BIT files are at full CD resolution, identical to our CD masters.
24 BIT files are at higher, studio master resolution, identical to our finished master files.
Please ensure you can play our 24 bit FLAC files before purchase - try our test files here.
Not all media players support FLAC yet, so you may need to convert to WAV or AIFF before playback. See our FLAC help guide
FLAC downloads come as a series of tracks in a ZIP archive file.
Our MP3 files are encoded at very high variable bitrates using the LAME encoder or at 320kbps.
Each recording is presented as a single, long MP3 which can be split using the CUE sheet at the bottom of the page, adding track titles and other information.
CD writing programs such as Nero and Burrrn can write these files directly to CD with all track information added using MP3+CUE - see our tutorial
Alternatively a cue splitter program can automatically cut and name the MP3 into individual MP3 tracks
There are also media players which use the MP3+CUE system, allowing gapless playback of all long MP3 files - essential for opera and many other classical works
Save money when you buy several downloads together by using the following discount codes in the shopping cart:
Buy 5 or more - save 10%: Code: 85187052
Buy 10 or more - save 20%: Code: 12W07104
How To Use: Once you've made your selections, copy the correct code into the space marked Discount or Coupon Code in your shopping cart, then click the Update Cart button to apply the discount before heading to the checkout.
N.B. These discounts apply to all our FLAC and MP3 downloads only. Discounts do not apply to CD purchases
Our CDs are made to order on highest quality Taiyo Yuden Watershield CD-R discs, recorded directly from our master files
CDs are shipped worldwide by Air Mail from France. The price here includes all shipping costs - there are no hidden extras
Standard and Premium CDs hold the same quality of audio - the Standard CD comes in a slip case with no covers, the Premium comes in a jewel case with printed covers
Each music page has PDF covers for printing out at home
They can be found by clicking on cover artwork or scrolling to the bottom of the page
Always deselect any resizing options in the print dialogue of Adobe Reader before printing to ensure correct cover sizes
All payments are processed by PayPal, one of the world's biggest and most reliable global online payment services
You can pay by credit card directly with PayPal acting merely as a secure card payment processing facility
You can use a PayPal account for quicker, easier and totally secure payments
We do not recommend using the e-check option for download purchases as there is always a delay of 3-4 working days between purchase and receipt of goods while the check clears
Payments are charged in Euros and will be converted from other currencies at the current PayPal exchange rate
