# SS 16.02.19 - Dvorak #2



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Antonin Dvorak **(1841 - 1904)*

Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 4, B. 12
1. Allegro con moto 
2. Poco adagio
3. Scherzo: Allegro con brio
4. Finale: Allegro con fuoco

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!_


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This weekend it's Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Second Symphony. It always seems like the first few Dvorak symphonies don't get much love but I always enjoy hearing them. No one should have a problem finding a recording of this one as there are many of them out there so I don't feel the need to post a YouTube link this week. Hope everyone can give this one a listen.

I'll be listening to:







Vaclav Neumann/Czech Philharmonic Orchestra 
(I usually go for the analog version but this time I think I'll go for the digital remake)


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll listen to Belohlavek and the Czech Philharmonic. This one never made much of an impression so I'm happy to give it another chance.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

D Smith said:


> I'll listen to Belohlavek and the Czech Philharmonic. This one never made much of an impression so I'm happy to give it another chance.


My choice also and spotify is the source


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

A chance for me to get out my Jarvi cycle for another listen


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Digital Neumann for me as well. I bought the box recently.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I'll go with this one.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Neumann for me, this one.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Kubelik / BPO for me


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Dvorak definitely looked a little crazed sometimes...


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Just to drop a different performance in here this one is quite nice. Its not got the drive of Rowicki or the joyous bounce of the Czech PO under Neumann but its still a very good account of (possibly) Dvorak's weakest symphony.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

D Smith said:


> I'll listen to Belohlavek and the Czech Philharmonic. This one never made much of an impression so I'm happy to give it another chance.


as a serial advocate of the 3rd it is perhaps somewhat ironic that I have little knowledge of the 2nd (as my good friend Merl points out it is arguably the weakest of the cycle!) so I will use this weekend as an opportunity to rectify my ignorance with this same recording.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

The weakest of the nine? I don't really think there is much argument about that.....having now slagged it off, I will admit to enjoying it, for me it's weakness is wrapped up in its being a bit over-ambitious.

Bělohlávek on Decca is a good choice, but I'm going to go with Václav Neumann in his earlier, non-digital recording, same box as Ken.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Digital link to all nine symphonies:


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

As I posted in Current Listening, I enjoyed this one more due to Belohlavek's attention to the piece and the fine sound of the Czech Philharmonic. Yes, it's too long but if you listen knowing it's not perfect it makes for an enjoyable 50 minutes.


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## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

I'll be joining in the fun with Kubelik/BPO also. Probably my favorite Dvorak cycle.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Listened to Neumann's analog set. Sorry, no mercy for Dvorak today! The program notes in the box sum it up well:



> It bears witness to Dvorak's wrestling with an abundance of ideas, as well as his insufficient ability at that time to build a coherent form.


The symphony is somewhat amorphous and lacks a strong "story" or dramatic arc. Dvorak uses - well, overuses - Bruckner's trick of repeating a short phrase over and over, in different keys, while increasing the volume. Too much of that and too little real structure. Sadly, not even the themes are very memorable, although a better treatment might have made some of them so.

Not a work I'll be revisiting soon.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

KenOC said:


> Listened to Neumann's analog set. Sorry, no mercy for Dvorak today! The program notes in the box sum it up well:
> 
> The symphony is somewhat amorphous and lacks a strong "story" or dramatic arc. Dvorak uses - well, overuses - Bruckner's trick of repeating a short phrase over and over, in different keys, while increasing the volume. Too much of that and too little real structure. Sadly, not even the themes are very memorable, although a better treatment might have made some of them so.
> 
> Not a work I'll be revisiting soon.


Yeah, that's what I was saying earlier. Much as I love Dvorak's symphonies, not all are great. 1,2 and 4 (to a lesser degree) I consider as far weaker than the others. Like Jim, I like the 3rd a lot but he really hit his stride in symphonies 5-9. Some people totally dismiss the first 4 (and occasionally first 5) but listen to the 3rd and 5th in the hands of an expert Dvorakian, like Rowicki, and they become a different beast.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

If you look at a Dvorak timeline the first four were not published during his lifetime and the others were published as 1-5 in the following order 6, 7, 5, 8, 9. Did Dvorak go back and revise the 5th or did he just need a symphony fast and used one of his earlier ones?


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I'm going to try the Naxos recording for this one. Gunzenhauser and the Czech-Slovak Radio Symphony


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Olias said:


> If you look at a Dvorak timeline the first four were not published during his lifetime and the others were published as 1-5 in the following order 6, 7, 5, 8, 9. Did Dvorak go back and revise the 5th or did he just need a symphony fast and used one of his earlier ones?


Dvorak revised the 5th 12 years after it was first composed, so yes this version of no. 5 fits between Symphonies 7 and 8


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