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Editorial Reviews

Brahms's Hungarian Dances were the model for these Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvorák. Brahms, however, was a German writing in the Gypsy style, while Dvorák composed using elements from his native land. Indeed, much of Dvorák's work -- including his symphonies, string quartets, and operas -- has a folklike character. There are two sets of eight dances, and what's most remarkable about them is their wide range of emotions. Sure, many of them are rollicking and boisterous, but there are also dances that are gracious, some that are nostalgic, and a few that are dripping with gorgeous melancholy. George Szell was actually born in Hungary, but he worked in Prague for a number of years and was a terrific conductor of Czech music. When this recording was made in the early 1960s, many players from the Cleveland Orchestra had emigrated from Central Europe and had this music in their blood; their collective affection is palpable in every note. Andrew Farach-Colton, Barnes & Noble

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