The distinguished conductor Antal Doráti leads the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Smetana’s lyrical cycle of symphonic poems, celebrating Czech nationhood with tales of heroic warriors, visions of the wide open Bohemian countryside, and the surging river Vltava. The accompanying work on this 2-CD set also celebrates the Czech countryside: Dvořák’s overture ‘In Nature’s Realm’ is a picturesque evocation of the composer’s home in the spruce forests of Bohemia. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Antal Doráti, Conductor
June 2012
*****
“A classic recording, beautifully played by a great orchestra. It springs along with balletic elegance, has oodles of inner detail, and a surging power where necessary.”