GEORGE SZELL CONDUCTS DVORAK & SMETANA (7 CDS)

Throughout his long tenure with The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell and his peerless ensemble set standards with their recordings of Czech music. The new release now offers them all, many for the first time on modern recording technology, including earlier mono versions of Dvorák's "New World" Symphony (1952) and Slavonic Dances (1947-56) as well as his Piano Concerto (1954) with it's finest soloist, Rudolf Firkušny. The main attraction for most listeners, however, will likely still be Szell's stereo recordings. When the symphonies, set down in 1958-60, were most recently reissued along with some of the mono Smetana performances, ClassicsToday declared, "you won't find a more authoritative, urgently exciting, well-played collection of Dvorák's last three symphonies at any price. The remastering has been managed with great care and is wholly successful. This is particularly gratifying with respect to the mono items, which include the Bartered Bride Overture and Szell's own surprisingly colorful and uninhibited orchestration of Smetana's First Quartet. Indispensable!" And, of course, Szell's "miraculously detailed and immaculately phrased" 1962-63 set of the complete Slavonic Dances, never out of the catalogue, is still the benchmark for these joyous masterpieces, especially in this superb SACD remastering.



1 CD 1
2 Dvorák: Symphony No. 9
3 "From the New World" Op. 95 (1959) · Carnival Op. 92
4 Smetana: The Moldau
5 The Bartered Bride: 3 Dances
6 The Cleveland Orchestra

1 CD 2
2 Dvorák: Symphony No. 7 Op. 70
3 Symphony No. 8 Op. 88
4 The Cleveland Orchestra

1 CD 3
2 Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Op. 46
3 Slavonic Dances Op. 72 (1962-1965)
4 The Cleveland Orchestra

1 CD 4
2 Dvorák: Symphony No. 9
3 "From the New World" Op. 95 (1952)
4 The Cleveland Orchestra
5 Smetana: The Moldau
6 Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York (New York Philharmonic)

1 CD 5
2 Dvorák: Piano Concerto Op. 33
3 Smetana: The Bartered Bride: Overture
4 Rudolf Firkušný Piano · the Cleveland Orchestra
5 Smetana: From Bohemia's Fields and Groves
6 Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York (New York Philharmonic)

1 CD 6
2 Dvorˇák: Slavonic Dances Op. 46
3 Slavonic Dances Op. 72 (1956)
4 The Cleveland Orchestra

1 CD 7
2 Dvorák: Slavonic Dances Op. 46: Nos. 1,3 & 8
3 Slavonic Dances Op. 72: Nos. 2 & 7
4 Arrangement: George Szell
5 Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life"
6 Orchestration: George Szell
7 The Cleveland Orchestra