[SACD-R][OF] Dvorak: Symphony No 6 (Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra) - 2005 (Classical/Orchestral)

Dvořák's Sixth Symphony secured him international fame following its premiere 1881. The influence of his native Bohemia, its sounds and its culture are abundant and give the work a refreshing flavour reminiscent of his Slavonic Dances. Sir Colin Davis's recordings of Dvořák's Symphonies Nos 8 and 9 were the first titles released on LSO Live, immediately establishing the label's international reputation. Since then the Symphony No 7 has also been released to great acclaim.
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Review by Chris April 30, 2005 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance: Sonics:
Yet another absolute winner from LSO Live! Dvorak's underrated sixth Symphony that has for too long stood in the shadow of the more famous 8th and 9th Symphonies,is played with real fire and gusto by the LSO under Colin Davis and emerges as a work of real stature IMO.It is really great to hear what is, apart from some possible patching here and there,a recording that sounds like listening to a real live performance.
The sixth may not be quite the masterwork the 9th is.
But for all its obvious influence from Dvorak's mentor Brahms,(and a bit of Beethoven too,there is an almost literal quote from Beethoven's Egmont in the first movement among other things) it has got lots of unmistakable and pure Dvorak too,with wonderfully lilting Bohemian tunes ,a whirlwind Scherzo marked Furiant that sounds like it is taken from one of his famous Slavonic Dances, and an absolutely brilliant finale.
The recording as before from this source is very close but admirably clear and very truthful if you accept the rather dry acoustics of the Barbican.
Although maybe not as expansive as one might ideally wish ,there is at least on my equipment, and in plain stereo, not even the slightest tendency for the sound to break up or harden even at the loudest fortissimos.
On the contrary every instrument of the orchestra sounds very realistic from pp to ff.
On this site this recording is listed as being a PCM transfer.But my SACD liner notes say pure DSD?
To me it sounds like pure DSD,ie I have nothing to complain about regarding the actual sound quality captured.
If I'm proven wrong I'll rest my case regarding digititis on PCM as being something inherent to the format.
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Review by tream September 12, 2005 (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance: Sonics:
Performance wise, this is a winner. Davis and the LSO provide a passionate performance of this symphony (more akin to the 8th than to the 7th or 9th, in my view). The playing is excellent, with surging strings and limpid wind solos. Tempos are brisk, phrasing straightforward but without a trace of boredom. The sound is better than the one other recording in this series I've heard (the Brahms 4), more distant, much less strident, but also slightly congested in the tutti passages. Playing time at 46 minutes is short, but still a recommended disc. Buy this before you get a 3rd or 4th "New World" and maybe we'll get other Dvorak symphonies on SACD. Listened to in multichannel.
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Sir Colin Davis's Philips recordings of the last three Dvorak symphonies have long been a staple of the catalogue, with LSO Live versions now supplementing them. But what makes this disc of No 6 specially welcome is that it offers a performance of exceptional clarity: at the start the syncopated thrumming on horns and violas has every note sharply defined, where most recordings - including that listed - make it a background sound, vaguely defined. The clarity is mainly due to Davis's cleanly focused reading but is helped by the Barbican acoustic, sounding rather drier than on some LSO Live issues.
Istvan Kertesz, then principal conductor, recorded his Dvorak cycle with the LSO, and in No 6 the contrast with the present musical director is illuminating. To my surprise, Kertesz proves more warmly expressive in moulding Dvorak's lyrical phrases, but the freshness of Davis's approach is ample compensation, and in the slow movement his broad tempo goes with a more relaxed manner and refined textures.
For the Scherzo Davis adopts a fastish tempo, and the snapping rhythms have extra sharpness, leading to a light, delicate account of the Trio section. In the finale, Davis, more than Kertesz, highlights the Brahmsian qualities, with the timpani cleanly defined. There is no applause, suggesting that an editing session or rehearsal session was involved. At 46 minutes with no coupling the disc may offer short measure, but the super-budget price (mid-price for the SACD version) makes it excellent value.
Edward Greenfield