An exact balance of tone without pathos (review)

Innsbruck – In a spectacular second masterful concert, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra excelled under the baton of Leoš Svárovský. The Czech orchestra guested with three works by Antonín Dvořák. Between the overture of My Home and the Symphony no. 8 in G major, Biblical Songs, featuring the excellent bass-baritone Roman Janál, were performed. Janál has a pleasantly coloured voice, can be excellently understood, does not overact, and sings effortlessly with a relaxed, tasteful and controlled vibrato. As with the entire orchestra, the soloist succeeded in drawing us closer to Dvořák’s music simply, naturally and without exaggerated pathos.

From the first tone, the conductor left nobody in any doubt that he was leading an excellently prepared, top class ensemble: the orchestra played with enormous balance and compactness, as if it were been formed from individual parts. The perfect interplay of the individual vocal groups was exceptional, while mutually well co-ordinated and fluently linked colour tones also came to life between the instrumental groups. The conductor Svárovský unleashed a brilliant storm of alternating light and dark shaded moments. His speciality was the dynamic but at the same time subtle division of solo melodies: here, without losing any power, he gradually withdrew a solo cantilena of fantastic instrumentalists in order for it to suddenly, unexpectedly provide space for other instruments. The melodic voice often stood out above the orchestra only marginally, which attracted and lured the listener even more into a deep listening experience. Svárovský adopted a rhythmising approach in order to hold together convincingly a symphony that at other times easily falls apart. The performance was engrossing right up to the dizzying conclusion, which was followed by great applause and loud cries of bravo. (ber)