Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi - Dvořák: Symphony No. 6, The Noon Witch (1992)

In the 1980's, conductor Neeme Jarvi recorded the nine Dvorak symphonies with the Scottish National Symphony for Chandos. Most of the recordings have received favorable reviews, and some critics believe the cycle established Jarvi the interpreter of Dvorak's music. While I do not own all the recordings in the series and for that reason cannot compare it to other Dvorak recordings by Jarvi, I can say it is an excellent recording and one of my favorites in my collection (consisting of nearly 800 recordings). It begins with the tone poem "The Noon Witch." It is a musical telling of a story similar to "Hansel and Gretel" and Dvorak cleverly uses different instruments and themes to tell the story. Jarvi is able to make the piece come alive and gives it a magical quality at the beginning as well as a tragic tone when the piece comes to the end which is in keeping with the story that inspired the music.

The focal piece of the recording is the Sixth Symphony. This work has been somewhat neglected over the years, at least in comparison with Dvorak's last three symphonies. While Symphonies 7, 8, and 9 are more sophisticated works, the Sixth Symphony still has something to offer the listener. The four movements are quintessentially Dvorak, especially the scherzo of the third movement. Like "The Noon Witch" Jarvi is able to bring out the life in this work and the Scottish National Orchestra is more than up to the task.

If you are not familiar with this work, but love Dvorak's music, I encourage you to purchase this recording. You will probably agree with me that this piece is a true gem. I recall the first time I heard this recording. I was also my introduction to the symphony itself. It was a cold night in November with a howling wind outside. I was sitting near a fireplace and had the radio tuned to my local classical station. I heard the powerful scherzo and immediately called the station to find out the title, composer and recording, and promptly added it to my collection the next day. It has been a staple ever since. It reinforced something I have always found with Dvorak. As soon as I am introduced to a Dvorak piece, I instantly fall in love with it. I hope that after listening to it, you too fall in love with this wonderful piece.