Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" - Smetana: Die Moldau

Herbert von Karajan had just returned to the podium after a life-saving spinal operation and long convalescence when he made the fifth of his six audio recordings of Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony in 1977. The conductor, a few months shy of his 69th birthday, stands here in total command of the exceptional musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker, whose individual brilliance and matchless collective artistry serve the cause of an interpretation that balances supercharged emotions with finely etched detail and jaw-dropping precision. Listen to the agitated central section of the work’s famous “Adagio” for a sense of the Berlin band’s ability to change mood in a heartbeat, or simply marvel at the power and glory of their music-making throughout the album (which includes a noble reading of Vltava, the second of Smetana’s six symphonic poems from Má vlast). Available for streaming for the first time since 2018, this is a “New World” Symphony for the ages.