Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Slavonic Dances Op.46, Nos.1-8
Slavonic Dances Op.72, Nos.1-8
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Järvi
rec. 1985, SNO Centre, Glasgow, UK
Presto CD
Chandos CHAN6641 [70]

I fairly recently welcomed the re-issue by Presto of the classic set of Dvořák’ Slavonic Dances conducted by George Szell and recorded in the mid-60s (review), originally on the Sony label, and was intrigued to discover whether this account – also a re-issue – of the same repertoire from Neeme Järvi, made in the mid-80s, could compete with what for me has long been an unrivalled version.

One immediately notices the rather cavernous, even boomy sound not normally associated with Chandos’ engineering and this might account for why I do not hear quite the snap, bite and definition of articulation in the opening dance that I find in Szell’s recording. I also find Järvi opening tempo more hectic than exciting – so not the ideal start. Then dance number two is also pushed rather hard, lacking the grace and lilt of Szell’s delivery. Then I find the Estonian Järvi’s application of rallentando just a little obvious and self-conscious as if he were trying that bit too hard to sound “authentically Bohemian” – which he isn’t. (Neither was Szell, for that matter but he was brought up in Austro-Hungarian Vienna). It’s not that there is anything much wrong with Järvi’s conducting; it’s just that I find him a tad heavy-handed, whereas Szell is lighter, subtler and more charming, with more spring and flair. The Cleveland Orchestra also makes a brighter, less bass-heavy sound – which again might have something to do with the recording balances and acoustic. The fourth dance is really rather heavy-going, in fact. The sixth waltz dance does not lilt; rather, it plods wooden-leggedly. The seventh dance – made yet more famous via its inclusion in the 1976 Italian animated film Allegro non troppo – lacks the give and take of Szell’s and Karajan’s recordings (the version used in the film) which is required to give it charm. Jumping ahead to the final dance of the second set, some have criticised Järvi for replacing the glockenspiel specified by Dvořák with tubular bells – whereas Szell was a stickler for sticking to the score and the effect he gains is both brighter and faithful to the composer’s intentions. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, but…

I risk repeating the same observations as I go through these two sets of dances, so I will refrain and simply say that these are general points which apply throughout. Quite often I find the emphatic, very-fast-then-very-slow, forte-piano nature of Järvi’s direction just too obvious and applied and that, in combination with the muddy sound, prevents me from recommending it over my established favourite recording by Szell.

Ralph Moore

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