Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons - Dvorák: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" (Live) (2004)

The news is all good. First, Mariss Jansons has gotten an orchestra as fine as he deserves. While he has made excellent recordings in the past -- his Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov cycles with the Leningrad and his series of Sibelius symphonies with the Pittsburgh Symphony -- with the Royal Concertgebouw, Jansons now has one of the finest orchestras in the world. Second, the Royal Concertgebouw has gotten a conductor as fine as it deserves. After a decade with the nearly competent Riccardo Chailly, the Concertgebouw -- the instrument built by Mengelberg, van Beinum, and Haitink -- again has one of the finest conductors in the world. Jansons' passionate precision and rhythmic vivacity are well matched with the Concertgebouw's tonal opulence and ensemble excellence. Third, Jansons and the Concertgebouw now have their own label, RCO Live, the latest in a series of self-produced releases by major symphonies. As demonstrated by this deep and detailed recording, the RCO Live label is a success. Fourth, on this live recording from June 6, 2003, Jansons and the Concertgebouw gave a performance of Dvorák's "From the New World" symphony that made even that venerable warhorse straight-up and charge the blockhouse. With Jansons' unrelentingly furious interpretation realized in the Concertgebouw's superlative playing and preserved in RCO Live's superb recording, this "From the New World" is among the most persuasive ever recorded.