#229 The Smell of Stone

Here's a stone, waiting to be sculpted. Strong, massive, proud–yet ready to be chopped, shaped, animated. Eruptive, sharp and dangerous.

This is very romantic and very Russian recording. Mic too close to strings, full brass, all sounds too edged and overexcited, and Anosov is bending tempi deliberately: listen to the total chaos at 0'15'' or 8'53''. Unacceptable, yes. Lovely, indeed.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Symphony No 9, IV. Allegro con fuoco
Recording: USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Nikolai Anosov

#163 The Smell of Drinking Wine

Subtle shines, darker deeps–this is like drinking red wine. It flows, gets excited, slows down, keeps you enchanted. The smell is literal and very physical. Last drops of wine fall down to a wooden table. It's not a big splash, just puddles you want to put your fingers to.

Baltimore orchestra has a beautiful and accented sound, clear and full. Alsop honors the dynamics and her reading is actually pretty classical yet somehow she catches your attention so you want to hear it again.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Symphony No 7, III. Scherzo: Vivace – Poco meno mosso
Recording: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop

#156 The Smell of Sunshine

This wedding march is so gentle, so fragile. It is full of hope and expectation but the feelings are mixed–death is near. Sun is rising but for how long?

Bělohlávek works magically with dynamics, and wonderfully balances the sound of orchestra and chorus.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Rusalka, "Květiny bílé po cestě"
Recording: Mischa Schelomianski, Glyndebourne Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek

#123 The Smell of Passion

If there's a smell of passion, it is found in this cello concerto. Love, death, home sickness, everything's here. Eruptive, bold melodies; soft and fragile moments (horns at 7'23''). All combined to a perpetual stream of passion.

Talich's recording of the concerto is the best one ever. Young Rostropovich has no limits. Absolutely legendary.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Cello Concerto, I. Allegro
Recording: Mstislav Rostropovich, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Talich

#121 The Smell of Gold

It's not only about the spinning wheel itself. Gold jets from the music all the time: golden fields, a nobleman in gold. Dvořák is building his musical narrative around it.

BPO has a solid sound and Rattle's reading is soft but not passionate. It's a horror without absorption.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: The Golden Spinning-Wheel
Recording: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Simon Rattle

#101 The Smell of Cheating

It starts like a game: The music invites you and eludes. It's sweet and allure but it tugs away at the last moment. This is cheating, false pretending: I don't know you, go away! Here's the art of musical seduction–are you game?

The quartet was premiered in Boston and I got the CD from Boston. But it was tough to make it to the special Boston Week and Pavel Haas Quartet fell short. Maybe it's their first failure ever.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: String Quartet No 13, I. Allegro moderato
Recording: Pavel Haas Quartet

#69 The Smell of Dignity

Recordings of Dvořák's Carnival Overture are typically jolly and cheered up. This one is different. It coheres to structure, it keeps its reputation. No place for drunk festivity.

Szell is concentrated, entries are explosive, everything works, brasswinds climp up–and yet, no smile in the music. As if it's not a carnival at all. Why so serious?

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Carnival Overture
Recording: The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell

#62 The Smell of Softness

One would say it's brisk, sharp music. But I smell a special softness in this recording. Round tones, lyricism. And with a modern touch, no rampant over-romanticizing.

Even in the most animated moments, it's not rigorous. Harnoncourt makes it breathe. This is C Major at its best.  

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Slavonic Dances Op. 72, No 7
Recording: Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

#53 The Smell of Heat

One can hardly forget that this symphonic poem has a program, beat by beat. It's wild, dirty, abrasive. You can smell fear and abandonment. "Give me the child!" in trombones is pure horror.

But I really stare in consternation when Dvořák forms the heat of a summer day with all its terrible compactness and unfulfilled expectations. The combination of idyll and terror is unbeatable.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: The Noon Witch
Recording: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

#41 The Smell of Wheels Turning

I have this recording for 13 years. Nothing really serious, a nice, pleasant piece of music before going to bed. Even at that full stop after the first third, you can feel the wheels are still turning, never expected to be stopped.

Waiting at the airport where everything is stopped, it helps me to survive.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: String Sextet in A Major, III. Furiant
Recording: The Czech Philharmonic Sextet

#37 The Smell of Pride

A very proud symphony. Strong cello lines are noble and vehement, flutes are so urgent. Brasswind instruments sound imperiously, and together, it's a march that cannot be stopped.

And yet, the recording is so plain. Nothing fancy. Pretty fast, totally synchronous, with chamber-like touch. The timpani sound in the beginning is actually made by violas. And the final five chords, oh my–like if they're saying: this is not over, this is not my final word. Well played.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Symphony No 8, I. Allegro con brio
Recording: London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati

#12 The Smell of Energy

This is Prague Philharmonia at its top. Wonderful, soft sound, excellent dynamic shading, spontaneous.

You can gulp the energy coming from the recording. You can listen to it ten times in a row and it will never pall on you.

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Work: Suite in A major, II. Allegro
Recording: Prague Philharmonia, Jakub Hrůša