Dvorak [Symphony] Symphonies—No. 7 in D minor, B141 a ; No. 8 in G, B163 b ; No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", B178 c. Symphonic Variations, B70 d. abc Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam; d London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis.

Philips Duo (Mid  price) (CD) 438 347-2PM2 (two discs: 139 minutes: ADD). Items marked a from 9500 132 (2/77), b 9500 317 (10/79), c 9500 511 (2/79), d SAL3706 (2/69).

Symphony No. 7—selected comparisons:

BPO, Kubelik (10/88) 423 120-2GX6

LSO, Rowicki (4/92) 432 602-2PM6

Symphony No. 9—selected comparison:

BPO, Kubelik (10/89) 427 202-2GR

Symphonic Variations—selected comparison:

BRSO, Kubelik (11/91) 435 074-2GGA2

Sir Colin Davis's magnificent Amsterdam Dvorak Seventh remains one of the most compellingly taut available: gloriously played and paced to perfection, it has a dark, searing intensity wholly apt for this, the Czech master's most tragic utterance; certainly, only a select handful of rivals on disc (Kubelik on DG and Rowicki on Philips pre-eminently) have matched this performance's irresistible symphonic drive. The Eighth is excellent, too: I continue to warm to its keen vigour, textural transparency and unfailing sense of purpose—only a little more nudging affection would perhaps not have gone amiss. Davis's finely-sculpted New World (first-movement repeat included) is another powerful, involving affair—the sublimely articulate orchestral response alone ensures enormous pleasure. Although not as endearingly flexible or evocative a reading as some would prefer (Kubelik's marvellous DG recording remains a miracle of spontaneity in this respect), Davis's directness is always refreshing and never brusque. The result: an impressively cogent, concentrated conception. Apart from some distractingly close balancing in the finale of No. 8, all three symphonies are blessed with Philips engineering of the highest analogue quality.

Truth to tell, I'd forgotten just how good Davis's 1968 version of the masterly Symphonic Variations actually is: sounding admirably fresh still, it's just as effective and unfussily direct a rendering as Kertesz's Decca account (also with the LSO, 11/71—nla) from two years later (that said, it's only fair to point out that both are in turn outflanked by Kubelik's hugely personable, intrepidly fleet Munich performance on DG). Overall, however, this slimline Duo package earns a strong recommendation.
AA