Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra here present Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6, which pays tribute both to his mentor Brahms and to the rich folk music of his Bohemian homeland. The Nocturne is an arrangement for string orchestra of the beautiful slow movement from his Fourth String Quartet. Suggestive of a celebration of Nature, the Scherzo capriccioso is one of Dvořák’s most masterful and colourful works, with a winning principal waltz theme.

REVIEWS:

The Baltimore band under Alsop delivers something different, and perhaps more, a performance with an American accent. By that I mean an edge, an energy, a thrust, and a forward-driving momentum that seem to be less in evidence in other recordings I’ve heard. One hears it in the bloom and solidity of the string sections, the commanding authority of the brass, and the luminosity of the winds. Alsop has the Baltimore orchestra playing like it’s in the top 10.

– Fanfare

The way Alsop and her Baltimore forces ease into that contented beginning to the Sixth Symphony and just as quickly assert a sense of musical character to their playing is a sure indicator of what is to follow. An entirely satisfying, characterful account.

– Gramophone