Dvořák: Piano Works Played on Dvořák's Own Bösendorfer Piano

I personally did not like this alto CD. I am not someone that enjoys the idolatry of a person nor its objects; so even listening to a 1879 piano belonging to the composer, did not light my imagination.
Radoslav Kvapil is too harsh for my taste, but according to his biography he certainly has the qualifications to interpret these in his own way. The listener must decide.

• 1-8 Humoresques, Op.101
• 9-13 American Suite, Op.98
• 14-15 Dumka and Furiant, Op.12
• 16-27 Silhouettes, Op.8

Ravel, Dvořák, Strauss: Orchestral works

The orchestration of these recordings is very good, I think. Small enough to be eloquent, yet big enough to establish a degree of the unearthly. Distinctive sounds among the groups yet strings that can show the different levels of sounds in the wind.

From Strauss, I have to say that I found Don Quixote quite appealing. Forceful, surreal, enthusiastic, reflexive, popular. Characteristics that can well describe the phenomenal character it is based on.
Perhaps in the same spirit, I would have to accept that Also sprach Zarathustra resembles its cynical character. Yet, musically, it did not resound with me in the least (except for the well known initial part).

About Dvořák, I have to say that I am becoming quite fond of his work. Conflictive yet he is not in a fight against melody, which I appreciate. The New World Symphony is very evocative, and the title defines the setting quite nicely.

Ravel, well, Boléro is very good, well known, and this interpretation has some peculiarities which I do not yet know if I like or not.
Noteworthy is the Feria, 4th part of Rapsodie espagnole. Amazing how the people and music and megaphones are represented.

A disc from Sony Essential Classics. All works by Philadelphia Orchestra and directed by Eugene Ormandy, except: Valses directed by Charles Munch, "New World" by London Symphony Orchestra, and Serenade by Münchener Philharmoniker directed by Rudolf Kempe.

Maurice Ravel



• Boléro


• Rapsodie espagnole


• Alborada


• Le Tombeau de Couperin


• Valses nobles et sentimentales



Antonín Dvořák



• Symphony No.9 in Em, Op.95 "From the New World"


• Serenade for Strings in E, Op.22



Richard Strauss



• Also sprach Zarathustra, Op.30


• Don Quixote, Op.35

My Favourite Cello (Tortelier, de Machula, Fournier, Piatigorsky)

This is a sampler of different legendary cello players, with digitally remastered recordings from 1946-1950. I found Gregor Piatigorsky especially good playing Dvořák's concerto, which I have heard with Rostropovich. This Centurion Classics CD is well worth (and very cheap) because of Dvořák's concerto. The Beethoven's variations are interesting, too.

Name	Author	Catalogue	Musicians	Observations
12 Variations: Mädchen, for cello and piano	Beethoven	Op.66	Paul Tortelier, Cello, Karl Engel, piano
Abendlied	Schumann	Op.85 no.1	Tibor de Machula, Residentie Orkest den Haag c. Willem van Otterloo	arr. Machula, for Cello and Orchestra
Abendlied	Schumann	Op.85 no.12	P.Fournier, pellas-Lemon, piano	for cello and piano
Concerto for cello and orchestra in Bm	Dvořák	Op. 104	Gregor Piatigorsky, Cello, Eugene Ormandy cond. Philadelphia Orchestra

Dvořák / Tchaikovsky : Cello Concerto / Rococo Variations

Beautiful! How many themes can fit into a Concerto, that boasts of creativity. How many "profound" themes for movie scores or similar have been inspired by Dvořák's Cello Concerto in Bm, op.104.
And such a nice interpretation by Rostropovich (Мстисла́в Леопо́льдович Ростропо́вич), with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa, an Elatus CD.

The Rococo Variations Op.33 remind us of Tchaikovsy's (Чайкoвский) pompousness. Nice listening, nevertheless.

Dvořák: Cello concerto in Bm Op.104



• Allegro


• Adagio ma non troppo


• Finale: Allegro moderato



Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33