It’s surprising to see this 1987 digital recording appearing on an “Archiv” sub-label, but its return to the active catalog is no less welcome for that. There are amazingly few recordings of the Slavonic Rhapsodies currently available–a pity, given the fact that they consist largely of vintage Dvorák. Kosler on Naxos leads livelier performances, but the Slovak Philharmonic doesn’t compare to its Prague counterpart in terms of ensemble tone and collective virtuosity, and Bohumil Gregor’s tempos never actually sound as if they lack energy.
These are such lovely works! No. 1, with its reedy, harmonium-like wind sonorities evokes moods both rustic and religious; No. 2 is the best tone poem that Liszt never wrote; No. 3, perhaps the most gorgeous of all, opens unforgettably with a luscious harp solo. Toss in fine performances of the My Home Overture and A Hero’s Song, the last and least-performed of Dvorák’s late tone poems, and you have a disc that occupies a very useful niche in the composer’s discography. Excellent sound completes a desirable package that, if not the last word in this repertoire, certainly offers much to enjoy.
