In 1929 Václav Talich and the Czech Philharmonic made the first complete recording of Smetana’s tone poem cycle Má Vlast, which gains its second CD reissue here. Both Talich’s remakes (from 1941 and 1954) benefit from upgraded engineering, breezier pacing, more streamlined balances, plus tauter, more cohesive orchestral execution. The 1929 set’s leisurely gait and murkier sonics convey a less cosmopolitan Bohemian landscape, abetted by gnarling, primeval brass and liberal doses of string portamentos. However, Russian Compact Disc’s muffled transfers don’t even come close to Ward Maston’s crisp, vibrant restorations on Koch. Buy this edition only if you are totally allergic to 78 RPM surface noise, which is filtered out along with most of the ambient overtones. Otherwise, stick with Koch.
