Beautifully played by the
Dresden Staatskapelle and smoothly conducted by
Herbert Blomstedt, there is much to enjoy and little to disdain in this Berlin Classics disc coupling a 1976 recording of Dvorák's Eighth Symphony and a 1982 recording of Schubert's Sixth Symphony. As was standard operating procedure for the East German orchestra, the Dresden musicians perform with a refined ensemble, burnished colors, and a lively sense of rhythm.
Blomstedt plays to the orchestra's strength, giving the winds plenty of room in Dvorák's soulful Adagio, the brass plenty of room in his boisterous Finale, and the strings and flutes a leading role in Schubert's opening Allegro. These are hardly definitive recordings; there have been too many splendid recordings of these repertoire favorites for these to rise to the top. But as fine and spirited readings by a great orchestra and a skillful conductor, they are a pleasant way to while away an hour. Berlin Classics' stereo sound is cool and balanced.