Antonín Dvořák - 2 Serenades (Stanislav Vavřínek; Vahan Mardirossian)

Information

Composer: Antonín Dvořák

• Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22
• Silent Woods for Cello & Orchestra, Op. 68
• Serenade for Winds in D Minor, Op. 44

Petr Nouzovský, cello

Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice

Stanislav Vavřínek & Vahan Mardirossian, conductors

Date: 2024

Label: Brilliant Classics

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Review

Two serenades by Dvorak are combined on this CD. The first is the one for strings, which Stanislav Vavrinek plays in a very relaxed and melodious way, elegantly swinging in the dance-like movements and very transparent, so that the string texture is wonderfully expressed. The tempi are moderate and allow for a calm contemplation of the music characterized by Dvorak’s satisfaction with his situation after receiving a state scholarship.

The Wind Serenade, which also uses cello and double bass and was composed about three and a half years later than the String Serenade, is also splendidly successful. Its colorful melody blossoms brilliantly in a very full, almost symphonic sound. Mardirossian does not force anything in the first three movements. In the finale, Allegro molto, his conducting is vital, the sound concise and, yes, fun. Between the two sonatas is Waldesruh, played with sensitivity and contemplation.

— Remy Franck

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Antonín Dvořák (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904) was a Czech composer. He was the second Czech composer to achieve worldwide recognition, after Bedřich Smetana. Following Smetana's nationalist example, many of Dvořák's works show the influence of Czech folk music, such as his  two sets of Slavonic Dances, the Symphonic Variations, and the overwhelming majority of his songs. Dvořák wrote in a variety of forms: nine symphonies, ten operas, three concertos, several symphonic poems, serenades for string orchestra and wind ensemble, more than 40 works of chamber music, and piano music.

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Stanislav Vavřínek (born 26 February 1972) is a Czech conductor who has served as Chief Conductor of the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice since 2018. He studied flute and conducting in Brno and Prague, later refining his skills in Switzerland. Vavřínek has worked with over 30 orchestras across Europe and Japan, collaborating with top soloists and performing at major festivals. He recorded nine CDs featuring music by Mozart, Haydn, Dvořák, and others. He previously held chief conductor roles in České Budějovice and Zlín, and taught at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague from 2006 to 2010.

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Vahan Mardirossian (born 26 May 1975 in Yerevan) is an Armenian pianist and conductor. A Paris Conservatory graduate, he has led a distinguished dual career. Mardirossian had served as Principal Conductor of the Caen Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, and since 2019, he has been Chief Conductor of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. He frequently guest conducts across Europe and Asia, including orchestras in Tokyo, Prague, and Seville. Also a renowned solo pianist, he often performs concertos while conducting the orchestra from the keyboard.

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