DVORAK. SYMPHoNIEs. London Sym- phony Orchestra conducted by Witold Rowicki. Philips 6500 122-4 (three records, C240 each).

6100 122: No, I in C minor, op. 3, "The Bells or Ztonice". 6500 123: No. 2 in B fiat major, Op. 4. 6500 124: No. 4 in D minor. Op. 13: Othello— Overture, Op. 93.

Selected comparisons

No. I LSO, Kertesz (10167) SXL62I58

No. 2 LSO Rertesz (9/67) SXL6289

No. 4 LSO, Kerteoz (4/67) SXL6257

The issue of these three early symphonies brings much nearer the completion of a rival set of Dvoiák symphonies to Kertesz's with the same orchestra on Decca. Shortly Decca will be issuing all nine of those rivals in a bargain box, but for most Dvoákians who will be buying piecemeal, these alternatives are undoubtedly welcome.

Broadly the contrasts with Kertesz arc similar to those noted in previous Rowicki issues. Both conductors take a comparatively straight view of the music, preferring not to pull tempi around once they are set. But once again Rowicki goes a stage further in straightness than Kertesz, and once again his tempi tend on the whole to be marginally faster. Undoubtedly some will prefer his versions for those very reasons, but for myself I feel he loses ground seriously in not moulding the often-difficult transitions so deftly and naturally as Kertesz, who has obviously thought through every development in the argument of these often cumbersome structures. For me it is significant that in two of the movements where I prefer

Rowicki to Kertesz—the slow movement of No. 4 with its blatant echoes of Tannhäuser and the lightweight scherzo of No. 1—the general rule is reversed. In both those movements Rowicki is slower than Kertesz and gains thereby, bringing Out a delightful Nutcracker flavour in the pointing of the No. 1 scherzo. Sometimes where Rowicki chooses fast tempi I suspect that he is alltoo-conscious of the great length of a movement. The first movement of No. 1 is the longest symphonic structure that DvoMk conceived in any of his works. With Kertesz it lasted a full 19 minutes, while Rowicki's much faster tempo compresses that to 16' 15—a bigger difference than that time margin may imply. Much the same point applies in the third movement of No. 2.

Another general contrast is in the actual texture. Kertesz, helped by the Decca recording, underlines the sharp dramatic contrasts and has extra edge to bring Out the rustic Czech flavours. With the smoother Philips recording and equally clean textures Rowicki generally sounds lighter. The flavour is more cosmopolitan. The playing of the LSO is excellent in both instances, though generally the precision and pointing, the signs of affectionate enjoyment, are clearer in the Kertesz performances. One exception is in the finale of No. 21 where Rowicki at a marginally faster tempo than Kertesz sets up a much clearer and crisper dactylic rhythm in the opening idea to get the music off the ground better.

Let me make it plain that these are very much relative points, and I keep thinking of the old song "How happy could I be with either". In fact both Rowicki and Kertesz are straighter and less obviously expressive than their Czech rivals on the old Supraphon versions now deleted. My latest comparisons have reinforced my regard and affection for the Kertesz versions (and I shall have more to say on that, when I review the bargain box) but there is still room for a rival cycle that would outshine both in romantic warmth, while—like them—providing first-rate modern stereo.

At this stage I hope I do not need to write more to persuade collectors to think of buying these works. They may be long, all of them, and the ideas are not so tidily presented as in the later Dvoiák symphonies, but the fresh Bohemian inspiration is almost always a joy, and only rarely—as in the banal finale of No. 4 with its square-rhythm version of a theme rather like "Dashing away with the smoothing iron"—is there anything to resist. May I refer readers to my earlier reviews of the Kertesz versions in April, September and October of 1967. It is good that this very live music, which concert promoters still seem to resist even in London, is now so freely available on record. I look forward to hearing Rowicki's version of No. 3—to my mind the most exhilarating of the early symphonies. E.G.