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Mercury Living Presence Boxed Set CD36 van55
Antal Dorati's performances of these two symphonies are so different from each other that it sounds like a completely different orchestra and conductor. The Seventh is a brooding, dark interpretation with magisterial tempos and a thick, Brahmsian orchestra sonority. The Eighth is just the opposite: bright, snappy, and razor-sharp. They make a fascinating contrast, and while this may not be the prime recommendation for this coupling (Szell/Cleveland or Kubelík/Berlin are safer, and throw in the Ninth Symphony as well), it's certainly one with a great deal of character. --David Hurwitz

Let's start off by acknowledging this performance of the Dvorak Symphony #7 as firmly in the Germanic romantic tradition -- dark sonorities, stolid tempos and all. There are many others like it in the catalog. And then there's Dorati's 8th. It's far different from the others I've heard, and his take on the 1st movement is absolutely the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat performance you're ever likely to hear. I just love the way the giant, monstrous cellos stalk the frightened woodwinds, and just how propulsive everything is. Whereas other conductors tend to take this movement at a leisurely pace and emphasize the "pastoral" elements, Maestro Dorati casts it as fervent, vital Dvorak redolent of his Slavonic Dances. The other three movements of #8 are more conventional; it's clearly the 1st movement that will stick in your mind long after you hear it. The London Symphony players respond to Dorati's razor-sharp direction, and play flawlessly.