Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 7-9, Scherzo Capriccios

Dvor´k's last three symphonies deserve every ounce of their popularity. Although the Eighth and Ninth are virtually ubiquitous, the greatest by common consent is the Seventh, which the composer wrote in the wake of having heard Brahms's Third Symphony (which was in turn influenced by Dvorák's Fifth). The friendship between Brahms and Dvorák was one of the most interesting artistic relationships in musical history, comparable only to that between Mozart and Haydn. Brahms, for his part, was clearly thinking of Dvorák's Seventh when he wrote his own Fourth Symphony, and actually corrected the publisher's proofs of Dvorák's Ninth when his friend, who was stuck in New York, was unable to. The Cleveland Orchestra has a great tradition of performance in both Brahms and Dvorák, inculcated by the incomparable George Szell, whose recordings of these three symphonies are also available. If you're looking for digital sound, you'll find that Szell's high standards have been admirably maintained by Dohnanyi and the orchestra. --David Hurwitz