Dvorak Symphony No. 9, 'From the New World' - An inspirational masterpiece

In this video I compare six different recoding of this great work. I have deliberately chosen versions that vary widely in their interpretation of, tempo, dynamics, phrasing and even orchestral positioning. In addition, I look at the recording qualities and the challenges that all conductors face when taking on this work. I also give a very brief history of the composer and how the work came into being. This masterful work has so much to offer all music lovers, even those who are not really 'into' classical music. Topics covered: 00:00 – Introduction 02:08 - A brief look at the life of Antonin Dvorak 08:39 - Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World' (structure & choice of recordings) 11:22 - 1st. Movement - Adagio - Allegro molto 27:10 - 2nd. Movement - Largo 47:22 - 3rd. Movement - Scherzo 57:49 - 4th. Movement - Finale My selection of recordings: Rudolph Kempe: Berlin Philharmonic (1958 – Stereo 1960) HMV Leonard Bernstein: New York Philharmonic (1962) CBS / Columbia Riccardo Muti: New Philharmonia Orchestra (1976) – EMI / HMV Jiří Bělohlávek: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (1990) – Suprafon Paavo Jaarvi: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1994) Durkin Hayes / later RPO label Gustavo Dudamel: Los Angelese Philharmonic (2022) – Deutche Grammophon Content Links: (Tidal) Paavo Jarvi: https://tidal.com/browse/track/8747657?u Rudolph Kempe: https://tidal.com/browse/track/137752989?u Leonard Bernstein: https://tidal.com/browse/track/1786948?u Riccardo Muti: https://tidal.com/browse/track/190541221?u Jiří Bělohlávek: https://tidal.com/browse/track/31167628?u Gustave Dudamel: https://tidal.com/browse/track/239092576?u (Spotify) Link to intro & outro music: ‘Philia’ taken from The Four Loves, by Stefan Meylaers: https://open.spotify.com/track/2vaU6lWvYlW2tEbjzF2FWW?si=06d392d9074b4b3d Equipment used in this video: Playback (where applicable): Loudspeakers: Pearl Acoustics SG Preamplifier and Dac: Sugden Saphire DAP 800 Amplifier: PassLabs Int25 CD Player: Lyngdorf CD-2 Cables: Loudspeaker cables: Pearl Acoustics Sibelius Neutral Balance Interconnects: AudioQuest (various) Listening Room acoustic panels: GIK Video recording Sony FX30 Sound Recording: Sennheiser ME-2 lavalier microphone with XSW-D wireless kit, coupled to a Zoom H6 with MSH-6 capsule activated About Pearl Acoustics: Discover more about Pearl Acoustics, who we are, what we do and what we believe in: Pearl Acoustics website: https://pearlacoustics.com/ Our loudspeakers: https://pearlacoustics.com/loudspeakers/ Email us: [email protected] Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/PearlAcoustics https://www.instagram.com/pearl.acoustics Disclosure: All comments and claims in this video are the opinion of the presenter and are given independently of any external company or organisation. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the presenter does not receive any payment, gifts or other incentives from any of the companies featured in this video. All equipment in this video has either been purchased by the presenter or is on loan to him expressly for the making of this video. All facts, figures, prices and technical specifications are quoted on a best-efforts basis for accuracy, no liability can be accepted for any errors therein.