The Arts Desk‘s Graham Rickson has a new rave for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck’s latest FRESH! From Reference Recordings SACD:
“Dvořák’s…Eighth [symphony] is the most radical, and Manfred Honeck’s remarkable performance highlights its originality in some style. …[Honeck] justifies every interpretive decision in his sleeve notes, and the musical results are pretty special. … What follows is electrifying – an exuberant adrenalin rush… Reach the close, and you’ll hopefully be awestruck. Cheap thrills and vulgarity are avoided. This is one of the great orchestral recordings – trust me. Playing and production values are beyond criticism. … And there’s an intriguing coupling too – an orchestral suite from Janáček’s opera Jenůfa, compiled by Honeck with the help of composer Tomáš Ille. … If you’re not weeping at the suite’s apotheosis, you’ve got no soul. Buy or download multiple copies for yourself and your loved ones – they will thank you for it.” —Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk