Although Dvorák came to America primarily as a teacher and administrator -- he was to head the National Conservatory of Music in New York -- his time in the New World is primarily remembered for the wealth of memorable compositions that came from his short, three-year stay. The most obvious of these are of course the Ninth Symphony, "From the New World," and the String Quartet No. 12, "American," but the period from 1892-1895 also produced the Sonatina in G for violin and piano, the E flat major String Quintet, the A major Suite for Orchestra, as well as the B minor Cello Concerto. It was not one of these works that Dvorák composed in America that first introduced him to his adopted homeland, but the Op. 103 Te Deum, easily one of the composer's most refined vocal works. This Supraphon album features all of these works along with the famous Op. 101/7 Humoresque and two miniatures for cello and orchestra. With the exception of the cello concerto, the orchestral duties in this three-disc set are handled ably by the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under
Václav Neumann, and the chamber works by seasoned, accomplished Czech ensembles. The only letdown on this otherwise satisfactory set comes from
Josef Chuchro's performance of the Cello Concerto with the
Prague Philharmonia.
Chuchro's sound is rather thin, and he and the orchestra struggle to maintain a consistent tempo throughout.