Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 - Othello - The Wild Dove

Chronique

Under the direction of Claus Peter Flor, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra delivers an all-Dvorák program that admirers of the composer and audiophiles will want to hear. Presented in the hybrid SACD format, the recordings are showcases for the orchestra's rich colors and fine playing, and the multichannel reproduction really captures the ensemble with impressive depth and crisp details. Dvorák's Symphony No. 7 in D minor isn't primarily a display piece, being instead a rather serious essay in the Brahmsian mold, but the crystal-clear writing puts every section of the orchestra into sharp relief and makes every note perfectly audible, unlike the more homogenous scoring of Brahms. In addition to the symphony are two shorter works, the Othello Overture and the tone poem Holoubek (The White Dove), which are played with a similar effort to making the most of Dvorák's orchestration and taking advantage of multichannel technology to give the musicians heightened presence. The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra has launched a promising recording career with BIS, and if this package is an accurate indication of the ensemble's skills and musicianship, the future is bright.

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