Description
Smetana: Má vlast / Dvořák: In Nature’s Realm – Antal Doráti, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2CD Set)
- UPC: 8718247710737
- MPN (Manufacturer Part Number): 8802073
- Brand Name: Newton Classics
- Product Type: 2 Audio CD Set
- Genre: Classical / Romantic Orchestral
- Style: Symphonic Poems / Tone Poems
- Recording Type: DDD Stereo
- Total Duration: 93′37″
Overview
This vibrant Newton Classics 2CD release features Bedřich Smetana’s (1824–1884) monumental cycle Má vlast (My Country), coupled with Antonín Dvořák’s (1841–1904) overture In Nature’s Realm, Op.91, in magnificent performances by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti.
Recorded live in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw (October 1986), Doráti’s interpretation of Má vlast stands among the finest of the modern digital era — grand, lyrical, and full of national color. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with its golden string tone and glowing brass, captures every nuance of Smetana’s musical portrait of Bohemia — from the flowing Vltava to the heroic Vyšehrad.
Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm adds a perfect complement — an overture celebrating the beauty and tranquility of the Czech countryside. Together, these works form a sweeping celebration of national identity, rendered with the technical perfection and emotional depth that define both Doráti and the Concertgebouw.
Product Features
- Format: 2 Audio CDs
- Recording Type: DDD Stereo
- Recording Date: October 1986
- Recording Location: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Conductor: Antal Doráti
- Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
- Label: Newton Classics BV (licensed from Universal International Music BV)
- Country of Manufacture: Netherlands
- Total Duration: 93′37″
Interesting Facts
- A National Epic: Má vlast (My Country) is Smetana’s six-part symphonic cycle celebrating Czech history, legends, and landscape — one of the defining works of 19th-century nationalism in music.
- Doráti’s Distinction: Hungarian-born Antal Doráti (1906–1988), famed for his precision and dynamism, brings both fiery passion and architectural clarity to Smetana’s tone poems.
- The Concertgebouw Sound: The Amsterdam orchestra’s lush sonority and immaculate balance lend grandeur and depth to these richly orchestrated scores.
- Dvořák’s Nature Overture: In Nature’s Realm (1891) was conceived as part of Dvořák’s “Nature, Life, and Love” trilogy — radiant with warmth and open-air lyricism.
- Czech Pride in Amsterdam: Though performed by a Dutch orchestra, this recording radiates Central European color — Doráti’s interpretation honoring the shared musical heritage of his homeland’s neighbors.
Track Listing
CD 1 – 49′31″
Bedřich Smetana – Má vlast (My Country)
- Vyšehrad (The High Castle) – 13′32″
- Vltava (The Moldau) – 13′04″
- Šárka – 10′37″
- Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields) – 12′18″
CD 2 – 44′06″
Bedřich Smetana – Má vlast (My Country)
- Tábor – 13′57″
- Blaník – 15′23″
Antonín Dvořák – Overture: In Nature’s Realm, Op.91 – 14′46″
Total Duration: 93′37″
Publishers
Originally recorded by Universal International Music BV (1987). Digitally remastered and reissued by Newton Classics BV (2011). Manufactured and printed in the Netherlands.
All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!
Hashtags
#BedrichSmetana #MaVlast #Dvorak #InNaturesRealm #AntalDorati #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #NewtonClassics #CzechMusic #TonePoem #RomanticOrchestral #ConcertgebouwAmsterdam #NationalismInMusic #Classical2CDSet #DDDRecording #UniversalMusic
