Customer Review(s)
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Karajan lovingly shapes his third "New World"
Comment: I hear something special in Karajan's late recordings with the Vienna Phil., an orchestra that brought out the most affectionate detail and sunniest mood in him. Besides this "New World," his third in the modern era, there's an inspiring Dvorak 8th, the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies, and legendary valedictory readings of the Bruckner Seventh and Eighth. The conductor wasn't to die for another four years when this "New World" was made, so we can't call it a farewell, and it's by no means as dreamy and laid back as the 8th from Vienna. Even so, it holds its own fascinaiton simply because of where it falls in Karajan's whole career.
As remastered, the mid-eighties digital sound has been tamed, but you need to be prepared for some snarling brass climaxes. The edges here are rougher than in Karajan's previous version on DG, from 1964. That one has reappeared in great sound on a two-fer in the Karajan Forever series (he never minded adulation, but outright idolarty seems excessive). Tempos are a fraction slower in the first movement from Vienna and a fraction faster in the Largo, but the overall interpretation remaines much as it was decades before. You'll hear extra lilt from the Viennese strings -- how could they not provide that? -- and tastier, less suave woodwind playing. The reedy quality of the English horn in the Largo falls nicely on the ear.
But don't expect rusticity or a special Czech flavor; this is big-city, echt Deautsche music-making. The Scherzo keeps up the prevailing strength of the whole reading (i.e., it's not dance-like), and the finale is robust and direct without bending over backwards to deliver a knockout punch. In the end, the recorded sound is bettter than on Kertesz's "New World" form Vienna in the Sixties, and the interpretation is at least as strong as Kondrashin's, also from Vienna on Decca. The CD is filled out with Smetana's Moldau, not exactly a rarity but welcome for the gorgeous, bubbling freshness of the orchestra's tone and for Karajan's suprisingly dreamy way with the score. You'd never guess that this is a warhorse.
Customer Rating: Summary: Beautiful melodies
Comment: I'm obviously not as "into" classical music as I should be as I wasn't familiar with The New World Symphony until I happened to hear the National Symphony perform it in March 2007. But it's a beautiful piece of music with not one, but several, beautiful melodic lines that I recognized, but hadn't previously associated with this piece of music. "Oh, that's from the New World Symphony!" It's gorgeous stuff.
One thing that's sort of interesting about this symphony is that Dvorak doesn't repeat his melodic themes very often. There are some beautiful strains, but you'd best catch them when they arise because he clearly doesn't have a lot of repeats built into the score. On the plus side, this characteristic of the music encourages re-playing the CD.
Let me also say a few words about Smetana's "Moldau." This CD is more expensive than some other "New World" CDs, but I think it's worth the price premium due to "Moldau." "Moldau" is, as I understand it, the national song of the Czech Republic. It's a lovely tune, you can almost hear the river flowing through Prague.
I've found myself playing this CD a lot, which is the ultimate testimony to its virtues.
