Ed Presson
2021-11-19 19:45:47 UTC
Here's my problem: I have never found a recording of Smetana's Ma Vlast
that I found so compelling
that I wanted to hear it again soon. Or at all. I started with an
open-reel tape of Kubelik/Boston Symphony
recording on DG many decades ago. Then Sawallish/Suisse Romande on RCA LPs
and Smetacek/Czech
Philharmonic on Pro Arte LPs. On CD, I picked up a Smetana "sampler" with
James Levine and the
Vienna Philharmonic, followed by Kuchar/Janacek Philharmonic on Brilliant
(reviews lauding it
as one of the most exciting).
I started looking again at reviews, and I think I finally found an answer to
my problem. A Fanfare
critic wrote that a listener looking for depth of musical content should
look elsewhere; that
Ma Vlast should be considered a wonderful "wallow" rather like
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.
I've been expecting too much from this collection of tone poems. I was
considering the Jarvi/Chandos
(rated one of the most exciting) and the recent Belohlavek on Decca (rave
reviews for its emotionally
deep reading and wonderful playing and recorded sound). At the moment, I've
put these considerations
aside.
Does anyone have some further insights or recommendations for how to
approach Ma Vlast?
that I found so compelling
that I wanted to hear it again soon. Or at all. I started with an
open-reel tape of Kubelik/Boston Symphony
recording on DG many decades ago. Then Sawallish/Suisse Romande on RCA LPs
and Smetacek/Czech
Philharmonic on Pro Arte LPs. On CD, I picked up a Smetana "sampler" with
James Levine and the
Vienna Philharmonic, followed by Kuchar/Janacek Philharmonic on Brilliant
(reviews lauding it
as one of the most exciting).
I started looking again at reviews, and I think I finally found an answer to
my problem. A Fanfare
critic wrote that a listener looking for depth of musical content should
look elsewhere; that
Ma Vlast should be considered a wonderful "wallow" rather like
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.
I've been expecting too much from this collection of tone poems. I was
considering the Jarvi/Chandos
(rated one of the most exciting) and the recent Belohlavek on Decca (rave
reviews for its emotionally
deep reading and wonderful playing and recorded sound). At the moment, I've
put these considerations
aside.
Does anyone have some further insights or recommendations for how to
approach Ma Vlast?