Dvorak: Slavonic Dances; Miniatures

Some of Dvo 345;áks most popular orchestral works his two sets of Slavonic Dances as well as lesser-known ones (Legends, Miniatures, Prague Waltzes and the B major Notturno) were all recorded for Philips in stunning sound by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The Slavonic Dances were critically acclaimed when they first appeared in both CD and SACD format and the recording was considered a demonstration disc on SACD. The ten Legends, which, though sometimes dance like, are more often introspective in mood than the Slavonic Dances, and much lesser known. The spirit of Wagner hovers over the rapt Notturno a work for which Dvo 345;ák had an especial fondness. Written a year or so before the Legends, and rather Viennese in style, the Prague Waltzes consist of a string of five waltzes with an exhilarating coda which refers back to the preceding numbers.