Dvořák: Serenade for Strings

Highlights Series · 16 Nov, 2025

"Note: In the Highlights Series, I’ll be sharing some performance videos that I really enjoy. My usual habit when listening to classical music is to look for recordings, but YouTube actually has a lot of wonderful performance videos. That’s why I started this series—to keep a record of some of the performances I love."

Usually, when I'm in the living room at home, I play music on YouTube through the TV and let it shuffle automatically. One time, I played Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich's performance of Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, and then let it continue shuffling while I went about doing other things.

When the next track played, I didn’t pay much attention since I hadn't heard it before. However, after a while, I started to realize that it was a beautiful piece of music. When I checked the screen, I discovered that it was Dvořák's Serenade for Strings performed by Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. I was immediately drawn to it and kept listening. I realized it was an extraordinary work—beautiful from start to end.

After becoming deeply enchanted by this piece, I started searching everywhere for recordings and videos of it. Among them, my favorite is the version performed by the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Their recording has an incredibly soft, warm tone, which suits this piece perfectly.

Of course, the version performed by Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich is also fantastic. Sometimes, when I’m looking for a brighter sound with more detail, I listen to this version.