Dvořák: New World Symphony (studio album)
by Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic

From EyeKanFly 08/27/2021 16:04

Usually I'm not a big fan of Bernstein's conducting style, but on my all-time favorite classical piece, it's hard to go wrong. The emphatic first and fourth movements are incredibly zealous, and the second movement is incredibly lush and spiritual. The third movement is a little more emphatic than most composers will go for. Usually the third movement is heavy at the beginning and end but the middle section will be much softer, but Bernstein goes big throughout. I think that barely makes the difference between this and the other versions of Dvorak's 9th that I've heeard.

Speaking of calling it "Dvorak's 9th"... Dvorak's 5th through 9th symphonies were originally published as his 1st through 5th (potentially due to the first 4 being handled by another publisher), and it wasn't until the 1950s that the numbering order was firmly established. That said... this album was recorded in the early 1960s, so it's unclear to me why they refer to the symphony as "Symphony No. 5".

In future reissues of this recording (like the 1973 Columbia re-release which for some reason I also own...), the numbering was corrected and this was referred to as Symphony No. 9. Because the number is not referenced on the front cover nor clearly in the track listing, I've opted not to include it in the title of the album so as to limit confusion.

Regardless of whether you call it no. 5 or no. 9 (or no. 8 which it was also called at one point...), Dvořák's final symphony, Op. 95, is a masterpiece. And Bernstein's rendition is one of my favorites.