Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 7-9by Anonymous

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January 05, 2008: If you want just one box with Dvorak's final three symphonies, this one definitely deserves your attention. The tempos are generally well-chosen, the playing is technically at a very high level and quite idiomatic, and the sound quality is astonishingly good for early 1980s digital. Neumann's Eighth is more laid-back than Kubelik's very exciting Eighth, but the Kubelik disc [pairing the Eighth and Ninth Symphonies] has subpar sound for the Ninth. The booklet notes for the Neumann box are a bit disappointing - this is Supraphon's flagship set of the Symphonies, and the notes should have been better. If you want great booklet notes for the Eighth and Ninth, look no further than Ivan Fischer's four-star recording with the Budapest Festival Orchestra on Philips. If you want a truly classic account of the Eighth, try Kubelik's recording with the Berlin Philharmonic [from 1966] on DG. If you want all three Symphonies in one box, you have many options and this Neumann set should be one of those you consider.