Dvořák: Slavonic Dances

Album information

CELEBRATING BOHEMIA: THE DANCING SPIRIT OF DVOŘÁK

A celebration of Bohemian spirit and rhythmic brilliance, Antonín Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances come to life in a vibrant new recording by the Czech Philharmonic, led by the masterful Sir Simon Rattle. These vivid orchestral gems, full of rhythmic vitality, folkloric color, and lyrical charm, are central to Dvořák’s legacy and pivotal in defining a Czech national sound. Composed at a turning point in the composer’s career, the Slavonic Dances radiate with joy, invention, and national character—qualities that captivated audiences across Europe and beyond.  As Principal Guest Conductor: Rafael Kubelík Chair, Sir Simon Rattle has already graced the label alongside the orchestra and Magdalena Kožená with Czech Songs (2024) and Folk Songs (2023).

This release continues the exclusive collaboration between PENTATONE and the Czech Philharmonic (awarded Gramophone’s Orchestra of the Year in 2024), committed to bringing Czech music to life on a global stage. It follows the acclaimed recordings of Dvořák’s Symphonies Nos. 7, 8 & 9 (2024) and, 2025’s winner of the BBC Music Magazine Orchestral Award, Smetana’s Má Vlast with Chief Conductor and Music Director, Semyon Bychkov, as well as Dvorak‘s Legends and Rhapsodies with Tomáš Netopil.

Released physically on standard CD.

REVIEWS:

De Gelderlander – Five stars: “As a listener, you automatically come closer to the musical core, where exuberant joy, passion, and pride go hand in hand with melancholy and perhaps a silent tear.”

Limelight – Editor’s Choice for November: “In this release, Rattle and his Czech orchestra achieve shimmering tones in both the winds and strings… They seem to find insights in every number.”

Sonograma: “The album is shaping up to be a reference recording, the result of the confluence between the orchestra’s interpretative depth and the unique artistic contribution of its conductor.”

Europadisc – Album of the Week: “this is a superb release, vividly recorded, with the Czech Philharmonic on top form”

Pizzicato – Four stars: “The result is a beautiful palette of expressions, sometimes bold and playful, sometimes melancholic and dreamy, but also lively and inspired by the many beautiful melodies.”

Klassik begeistert: “You sense the tradition, and at the same time, you sense the desire to revitalize it. That’s precisely the art: playing music you’ve heard a thousand times in such a way that it sounds fresh, surprising, and vibrant.”

BBC Radio 3 – Airplay on Record Review: “How well they must know this music and it feels like it so what does recently appointed Principal Guest Conductor Sir Simon Rattle bring to the party? Bravery but also a sense of unbridled fun! Good recording too”

Europadisc – Album of the week: “The Serbian kolo (no.7) is a last blast of high spirits, another instance of great excitement and phenomenal playing immaculately controlled, while the concluding Sousedská, a nostalgia-laden slow waltz, is heart-stoppingly lovely: Rattle’s deep affinity with this music is nowhere more evident than here.”

Financial Times – Four stars: “grace, vigour and unabashed sensuality”

Gramophone – Sir Simon Rattle: Artist of the Year