An elegant Classical form ill-suited to the volatile Romantic temperament, the serenade was of limited interest to nineteenth century composers, and only a handful have achieved lasting fame. Dvorák's Serenade for string orchestra in E major is among the best known, and it is imbued with nostalgia and sentiment, two qualities often associated in the Romantic imagination with the Classical past. Performed by
Josef Vlach and the Czech Chamber Orchestra, the strings are sumptuous and vibrant, and the sound is splendid, capturing the inner parts with great clarity. Less sentimental and tender, and more brusque in tone, the Serenade for winds and strings in D minor features contrapuntal textures that are reminiscent of the Rococo cassation style. However, there are also plenty of folk-like melodies and syncopated rhythms, which may bring Dvorák's Slavonic Dances to mind. Played by the Czech Philharmonic Winds under
Vlach's direction, the winds are crisp and sometimes pungent, and the cello and bass are clearly audible. Tchaikovsky's Andante cantabile, arranged for string orchestra, and his Song Without Words from the Souvenir de Hapsal are pleasant filler. Considering that these recordings were made between 1964 and 1977, they are remarkably clean and focused, no doubt due to exceptional engineering and careful preservation of the original masters.