Previously available in the West on Deutsche Grammophon, this 1961 recording of Dvorák’s Stabat Mater surfaces again in greatly improved sound. Supraphon’s engineers have removed the sonic veil from DG’s release, opening up the top end considerably and increasing the dynamic range, which significantly enhances the performance’s impact. And what a performance! The Prague Philharmonic Choir offers robust tone and real devotional fervor throughout, while the four soloists’ wonderfully Slavic-toned, passionate singing (especially Vera Soukupová’s “Inflammatus in accensus”, and Ivo Zídek’s “Fac me vere tecum”) is particularly moving. It all comes together under the baton of Václav Smetácek, whose authoritative yet sensitive conducting and skillful balancing of the combined forces demonstrates his thorough mastery of the score. Performances like this one reaffirm Dvorák’s Stabat Mater as one of the 19th century’s great choral works–certainly worthy of a place alongside the requiems of Berlioz and Brahms. This recording is an excellent presentation, one that must be heard by Dvorák fans and choral enthusiasts alike.
