CD1/2008

International Record Review

“[Jan Novák’s] music has hints of Martinů, but also has real character of its own, and the work is well played here: I know of no other recording of it, and lovers of Czech music should try to hear it.”

“…the live sound is excellent…”
—International Record Review, April 2009

“…the Philharmonic Dances are a fine example of [Jan Novák’s] work, very well played here. Novák is still badly underrepresented on CD and I am not aware of any other recording of the Philharmonic Dances, so this is all the more welcome … Again, the live sound is excellent, and this disc is particularly worth seeking out for the Novák.”
—Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012

La Scena Musicale Online

“[Dvořák’s 9th Symphony] Why am I listening to a 43-year-old live performance of a symphony I’ve heard more often than Happy Birthday? Because the Brno Philharmonic in 1966 are a real Czech orchestra, unlike the modern soundalikes, and the conductor Jiří Waldhans is unafraid to let his brass let rip in organic style. This may not be everyone’s glass of Pilsner, but I found it marvellously refreshing.”
—Norman Lebrecht, La Scena Musicale Online, 19th August 2009

Audiophile Audition

“Engineer and producer Geoffrey Terry has captured Jiří Waldhans at his most colorfully magnanimous, a real cornucopia of sound.” [Rating ★★★★]
—Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, 26th October 2009

MusicWeb International

“This [Novák] is music of welcome vitality and uninhibited brio.”

“The recording quality is certainly first class and has real clarity and natural balance.”
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, April 2010

“[The greatest Dvořák Ninth this] might not be, but if I had it for company on a desert island, I think I’d rest quite content with it … it’s very hard to find any real fault with it, given the numerous unfamiliar but felicitous details that elevate the eyebrows, and a logical flow that sweeps you pleasurably along from start to finish.”

“[Y]ou are (well, I certainly was) left wondering why this music [Novák’s Philharmonic Dances] has been in hiding for so many years. The players seem to relish every minute, and well they might, for the music […] is certainly infectious (or even habit-forming […).]”

“‘[B]ewitching sound’ is at the heart of this and the other Orchestral Concert CDs … The ‘sound stage’ might be just a wee bit too wide for headphone listeners, but the sonic vista spread before you is quite without parallel – unless, that is, you’re in the centre seat of the front row of a concert hall balcony.”
—Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, April 2018

“One has to ask if we really need another recording of From the New World. After listening to this lovely performance I am happy to say the answer is an emphatic yes. Particularly, we need this one…”

“Jan Novák, a pupil of Martinů and now dead, remains a largely obscure figure. On the strength of these three orchestral dances he should be heard. These would go down a storm at the Proms and I am a little amazed they are so good and yet never since recorded. On the bright side, this performance is lively, almost raucous, and hugely accomplished. Combined with a fine recording, this is eighteen minutes of essential listening…”

“The recordings are very good indeed, it is not at all difficult to imagine oneself in the Royal Festival Hall about eight to ten rows back. The sound is rich, detailed and a credit to producer, engineer and all round man-in-charge Geoffrey Terry.”
—Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, May 2018

Fanfare

“I played Terry’s recording of the [Novák] work repeatedly when the CD arrived—it’s so full of life, one can’t tire of it.”
—Martin Anderson (proprietor, Toccata Classics), Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010

American Record Guide

“The great historical recording of this work [Dvořák] is Talich’s from the early 50s. This is as good a performance, and the sound […] is far superior to the Talich. It has a lightness and clarity that is amazing for its age … [This disc] is worth buying for both the Dvořák and the Novák.”
—Carl Bauman, American Record Guide, July/August 2010

Customer reviews

“These must be the best sounding recordings ever made in this acoustically troubled venue. Everything is bright, clear and rich, and the performances are outstanding. The Dvořák grips from the very opening and has now become my favorite version of the work [...] Highly recommended.”
—Don Hansen, San Francisco on the BBC Music Magazine forum, 13th January 2010

“I’ve listened now twice to the Dvorak 9th on my main hi-fi system, and am pleased to count it as my favourite performance – direct, no putting an ‘interpretation’ on the music, just presenting it as is. Thank you for preserving it, and now presenting it.”
—Peter Stanger, conductor and pianist, private correspondence, April 2010