Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Igor Markevitch's Tchaikovsky performances have been among the best since the early '60s. He turned the unruly London Symphony Orchestra into a first-rate Tchaikovsky ensemble, in which a finely disciplined approach to rhythm provides the perfect foundation for some highly expressive music-making. The neglected Third Symphony is particularly cogent and exciting in Markevitch's hands. No lover of this composer should miss hearing these terrific discs. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Sunrise) - R. Strauss
Mars (The Planets) - Holst
Overture 1812 - Tchaikovsky
Entry Of The Gladiadtors - Fucik
Sabre Dance - Khachaturian
Procession Of The Sardar - Ippolitov Ivanov
Night On Bald Mountain - Mussorgsky
Anvil Chor (II Trovatore) - Verdi
The Thunderer March - Sousa
Thunder & Lightening Polka - J. Strauss
Prelude To Act III : Lohengrin - Wagner
The Ride Of The Valkryies - Wagner
Montagues & Capulets (Romeo & Juliet Ballet Suite) - Prokofiev
The Storm: Symphony No. 6 In F Major, 'Pastorale' - Beethoven
Rondeau - Edward Carroll
Overture: Fireworks Music - Handel
March To The Scaffold: Symphonie Fantastique - Berlioz
LesToreadors - Bizet
William Tell Overture: Finale - Rossini
Revolutionary Study - Abbey Simon
Fanfare For The Common Man - Copland
Sym No. 1 'Titan' IV Sturmisch Bewegt (Excerpt) - Mahler
Augurs Of Spring From Rite Of Spring - Stravinsky
Russian Dance From Petrouchka - Stravinsky
The Great Gate At Kiev From Pictures At An Exhibition - Mussorgsky

Customer Reviews:

Good selection.......2005-10-02

I bought this CD to use in my classroom as listening examples. I'm not just a super big fan of some of the performances, but they are all good and for the price you can't beat it. That's why I gave it 5 stars. It's worth more than it costs by far.

thunderous applause.......2005-08-31

This is a who's-who of great pieces of music you have heard all of your life, and never knew the names and stories! I listened to it over and over in the car and had my own concert! A friend borrowed it to add music to his Home Movies and it was perfect!

Good Music at a Great Price.......2004-03-06

I bought this CD mostly for "Entry of the Gladiators," which everyone will recognize as classic circus music. The performance on this CD (by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops) is the best available version of Entry of the Gladiators. The rest of the CD offers mostly excerpts of classical music.

You will like this!.......2004-02-19

I had purchased an abundance of the "Favorites" collection and some were better than others.

This CD is at the top of them all. They may be short, but not that short. Wondrous music.

I can almost guarantee that you will like this music.
Well worth the price!

Good for the novice.......2002-06-08

The recordings on this disc are pretty good. However, the editors selected only the *loud* parts, as indicated by the title. I was pretty disappointed to find that the pieces are, in many cases, edited to reflect the most famous themes, etc, instead of including the whole work. In general, I would recommend this to the classical music novice, or someone who wants to expand their knowledge of classical music in general. Those who already are familiar with these pieces will probably feel gypped.

Average customer rating:

A disappointment from a declining Markevitch
Peter Ilyich becomes Tchaikovsky
Decent performances, good value
Very Straightlaced Readings
Brilliant early Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies no 4, 5, & 6 / Karajan, Berlin PO
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4-6
Schubert: 8 Symphonies
Schumann: The 4 Symphonies
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3; Concert Fantasy

ASIN: B0000041BS
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 1. Allegro Tranquillo
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 2. Adagio Cantabile Ma Non Tanto
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 3. Scherzo. Allegro Scherzando Giocoso
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 4. Finale. Andante Lugubre - Allegro Maestoso
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 1. Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Vivo
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 2. Anantino Marziale Quasi Moderato
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 3. Scherzo. Allegro Molto Vivace
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 4. Finale. Moderato Assai

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 1. Introduzione E Allegro
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 2. Alla Tedesca. Allegro Moderato
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 3. Andante Elegiaco
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 4. Scherzo. Allegro Vivo
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 5. Finale. Allegro Con Fuoco
Francesca Da Rimini, Op. 32

Amazon.com

Igor Markevitch's Tchaikovsky performances have been among the best since the early '60s. He turned the unruly London Symphony Orchestra into a first-rate Tchaikovsky ensemble, in which a finely disciplined approach to rhythm provides the perfect foundation for some highly expressive music-making. The neglected Third Symphony is particularly cogent and exciting in Markevitch's hands. No lover of this composer should miss hearing these terrific discs. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment from a declining Markevitch.......2007-03-18

Sadly, these early Tchaikovsky symphonies find Igor Markevitch, one of my great heroes, in decline. He suffered a disastrous hearing loss around 1961, and ever after his brilliant podium skills were not the same. I suppose on reputation alone one could admire these recordings, but in truth they are competent and fairly ordinary from beginning to end. I would only buy them as a standby or for reasons of economy.

The LSO plays competently but without enough vitality or Russian passion. Philips' recorded sound is unattractive, too, lacking in body and warmth. I must agree with Mr. Lipscomb that if you place any of these three symphonies beside their best rivals, the "Winter Dreams" sounds listless next to Tilson Thomas and the BSO (DG), the "Little Russian" lacks the spontaneity and vigor of Giulini on EMI, and the "Polish" needs the power and conviciton of the Chicago Sym. under Abbado (Sony). The best thing here is a nervy, restless Francesca da Rimini, but that's not enough reason to purchase the whole set.

Peter Ilyich becomes Tchaikovsky.......2006-12-25

The planets aligned when the young Tchaikovsky, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Igor Markevitch came together between 1965 and 1975 in London for performances that Philips has had the good sense to issue in their high-value Philips Classics series. This two-desk set is a classic that years to be played on a high-quality sound system that will bring out the concert-hall effects it concludes.

Though the digital remastering fails to eliminate a low hum when played at high volume, the authenticity of the sound is worth this minor inconvenience. At one point, the listener can hear a page turn - perhaps a page of Markevitch's score. A cantankerous music lover might ask with annoyance how the hell they allowed a microphone close enough to Markevitch's podium to fall into a glitch like that. This astonished and less demanding reviewer almost pulled his truck off the road at the sheer historical thrill of becoming privy to such a human 'error' four decades after the fact.

In these three symphonies, Tchaikovsky is working out the tonalities that will appear in full flower later in his career, not least in the heart-rending struggles of the underrated but profoundly beautiful 'Pathetique'. The plausibilities available to a late Romantic composer like Tchaikovksy allowed the elasticity of tempo and tone that made possible the climb-and-descend, climb-and-descent motifs that are Tchaikovsky explores in these first three of his recognized symphonies, a modality that becomes almost a Tchaikovsky signature when his body of work is considered as a whole.

Markevitch's baton is patient with Tchaikovsky, allowing the LSO and the New Philharmonia Orchestra to work unhurriedly though some of Romantic music's most memorable passages.

A reviewer would be remiss not to underscore the value of the Philips Classics series, where almost canonical performances by legendary performers of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are made available at two-for-one pricing under digital remastering that rescues valuable sounds for the ages.

This 1995 issue would serve well even as a listener's sole recording of Peter Ilyich's first three symphonic steps towards becoming the rather immortal musician we know as Tchaikovsky.

Decent performances, good value.......2005-08-20

As boxed sets go, this is probably as good as you will find when it comes to the early Tchaikovsky symphonies, and the price will be impossible to beat. No doubt individual recordings of the various symphonies are available that will have more more flair to them --- definitely, these performances take a strict by-the-numbers approach which may leave more ardent Tchaikowsky devotees feeling chilled. However, by and large, the performances are consistently decent if not great (I prefer a livlier tempo for the Polish, but that's just me).

This is the perfect set for those who are largely indifferent to Tchaikowsky's symphonies --- as I must admit that I am these days --- but nonetheless would like to have them available for listening for not a lot of money. It is also a good starter set for those who are just beginning to assemble a basic collection of the standard symphonic repertoire.

Very Straightlaced Readings.......2005-05-19

This super-cheap, extremely well-recorded Philips CD set of Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies is easy to recommend. The disciplined playing by the London Symphony is top-notch and Markevitch obviously knows his way around all three scores. So if you are looking for an inexpensive way to own Tchaikovsky's earliest symphonies in excellent stereo, this set strikes me as a clear first choice.

As for the interpretations, however, I have some misgivings about Markevitch here. He was unquestionably one of the 20th Century's virtuoso conductors: his pointillistically detailed style and cool precision are recognizable in just about everything he recorded. And, on occasion, he conducted Tchaikovsky with real expressive fire - his French Radio Orchestra account of "Romeo & Juliet" (Angel LP) is my all-time favorite, along with Mengelberg's (Andante - see my review). And his Philharmonia readings of Ravel's "La Valse" and the Shostakovich 1st Symphony are in a class of their own (EMI).

It's only when you do some comparing with individual symphony recordings by other conductors that the shortcomings of Markevitch's cool objectivity here become all too apparent. Perhaps the LSO is partly to blame - they simply don't sound very Russian to my ears. With Markevitch at the helm, the 1st symphony is more like wintry dreams than Winter Dreams, the Little Russian only sounds a little Russian, and the 3rd Symphony has too much polish and too little that's Polish. In a nutshell, there isn't much heart or soul on display here.

My preferred alternatives in these works are mostly old mono recordings that any self-respecting audiophile wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole: the Dante LYS CD of the Nikolai Golovanov/USSR Radio's impassioned #1 (recorded 1948) and the old Stradivari LP (re-issue needed!) of the 1st with Natan Rachlin and the Bolshoi Symphony (coupled with a wonderful #2); #2 played with warmth and insight by Beecham/RPO (Columbia LP) and an extraordinary "live" Second with Igor Stravinsky conducting the NY Phil. (available only in that orchestra's 10-CD "Historic Broadcasts" set); and the partially cut rendition of the Polish by Albert Coates on that conductor's volume in IMG's "Great Conductors" CD series. And finally - a modern recording! - there's an inspired "live" 3rd with Svetlanov (BBC Legends).

I keep this Markevitch set because 1) it's well-played and 2) it contains my only stereo accounts of #1 and #2. However, the icy chill of Markevitch's conducting in the Philips companion CD set of #4-6 was too much for me: I weeded it.

Recommended as an inexpensive collection in first-rate sound. But for genuine excitement, I listen far more frequently to the alternatives listed above.

Brilliant early Tchaikovsky.......2005-05-01

Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 1, 2 and 3 may not share the fame and popularity of the later three (neither in the concert hall nor on disc), yet they are nonetheless fascinating pieces of music from start to end. In Igor Markevitch they find the strongest advocate. Markevitch clearly had a natural affinity with this music and quite ideally caught the contrasting moods of these early symphonies.
In this pioneering set recorded in the mid-sixties he always obtained strong, often exciting, incisive playing from the London Symphony Orchestra. An intense "Francesca da Rimini" with the New Philharmonia is offered as a thrilling bonus.
The sound quality is excellent overall. Next to Dorati's set (on Mercury) this twofer is a clear first choice for Tchaikovsky's early symphonies - at any price.

Average customer rating:

EXCITING PERFORMANCES VINTAGE STEREO SOUND BUT NOT SACD
Dorati's MLP Tchaikovsky Gems Are Back!

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Antal Dorati Conducts
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Bartok: Orchestral Works; Bluebeard's Castle
Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music
Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

ASIN: B00035VV7I
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

EXCITING PERFORMANCES VINTAGE STEREO SOUND BUT NOT SACD.......2005-09-27

Despite whar Mr Richman says in his review below this five disc box set does NOT consist of hybrid SACD discs. They are all CDs - generously filled but still basic 16 bit discs. It may be that Mercury's parent company plans to release these discs singly as three channel SACDs but here you get the two channel mixes that originally appeared on LP and on the 1990s CD releases. It would have been great to hear them in three channel - Dorati's "Firebird" sounds magnificent on SACD - but this box is still a bargain. There's some low level hiss and the occasional tape clunk but these are small blemishes on some exciting late 50s and early 60s recordings that make most of today's offerings sound sterile and cautious. Dorati's Tchaikovsky is never winsome or self-pitying. As a masterly ballet conductor Dorati never ignores the lilt and sway of the composer's waltz-inspired lighter moments - but he and the orchestra (London Symphony and Minneapolis) really let rip for the exciting brass perorations. Try the finale of the "Little Russian" symphony, or "Francesca di Rimini", for some real sock-blowing sound! Even if you own other recordings of these popular works try to find a space on your shelf for Dorati and the inimitable Mercury sound.

Dorati's MLP Tchaikovsky Gems Are Back!.......2005-05-25

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing as SACD hybrids. Unfortunately, they are now being sold at full-price, despite a competing hybrid series on RCA/BMG being available at midline. In spite of the added expense, I hope this MLP reissue trend will continue, and maybe we'll even see a few items getting their CD debut.

This Tchaikovsky Symphony Cycle by the great Antal Dorati has always been one of my favorite MLP offerings. While a two-disc set of Symphonies 1-3 and a single title of the 4th continue to be available in their original CD incarnations, the CDs of Symphonies 5 & 6 have gone out-of-print recently. However, with this box set they are now deservedly restored to the catalog. Even better is the fact that the four 5CD box sets being reissued have been so reasonably priced. This Tchaikovsky set, and the ones of Dorati conducting Bartok, Paray conducting French music, and Hanson conducting a variety of American music, including his own compositions, have a total cost cheaper than the original single issue CDs! Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Tchaikovsky: Complete Symphonies (1-6) [4 disc set]

Average customer rating:

Symphonies 1 and 2 are the best here
The best Tchaikovsky boxed set of the symphonies ever

Tchaikovsky: Complete Symphonies (1-6) [4 disc set]

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Dvorák: The Symphonies
Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Schumann: The Four Symphonies
Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet

ASIN: B000001GCR
Release Date: 1990-07-03

Tracks:

Symphonie No.1 g-moll op. 13 'Wintertraume': Traume einer Winterreise - Allegro tranquillo
Symphonie No.1 g-moll op. 13 'Wintertraume': Land der Ode, Land der Nebel
Symphonie No.1 g-moll op. 13 'Wintertraume': Scherzo. Allegro scherzando giocoso
Symphonie No.1 g-moll op. 13 'Wintertraume': Finale. Andante lugubre - Allegro moderato - allegro maestoso - Allegro vivo
Symphonie Nr. 2 c-moll op. 17 - Kleinrussische: Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
Symphonie Nr. 2 c-moll op. 17 - Kleinrussische: Andantino marziale, quasi moderato

Tracks:

Symphonie Nr. 2 c-moll op. 17 - Kleinrussische: Scherzo. Allegro molto vivace
Symphonie Nr. 2 c-moll op. 17 - Kleinrussische: Moderato assi - Allegro vivo
Symphonie Nr. 3 D-dur op.29 - Polnische: Introduzione e Allegro. Moderato assi
Symphonie Nr. 3 D-dur op.29 - Polnische: All tedesca. Allegro moderato e semplice
Symphonie Nr. 3 D-dur op.29 - Polnische: Andante elegiaco
Symphonie Nr. 3 D-dur op.29 - Polnische: Scherzo. Allegro vivo
Symphonie Nr. 3 D-dur op.29 - Polnische: Finale. Allegro con fuoco

Tracks:

Symphonie Nr. 4 f-moll op. 36: Andante sostenuto
Symphonie Nr. 4 f-moll op. 36: Andantino in modo di canzone
Symphonie Nr. 4 f-moll op. 36: Scherzo
Symphonie Nr. 4 f-moll op. 36: Finale
Symphonie Nr. 5 e-moll op 64: Andante
Andante cantabile

Tracks:

Symphonie Nr. 5 e-moll op. 64: Valse. Allegro Moderato
Symphonie Nr. 5 e-moll op. 64: Finale. Andante maestoso
Symphonie Nr. 6 h-moll op 74 - Pathetique: Adagio - Allegro non roppo - Andante - Moderato mosso
Symphonie Nr. 6 h-moll op 74 - Pathetique: Allegro con grazia
Symphonie Nr. 6 h-moll op 74 - Pathetique: Allegro molto vivace
Symphonie Nr. 6 h-moll op 74 - Pathetique: Finale. Adagio lamentoso - Andante

Customer Reviews:

Symphonies 1 and 2 are the best here.......2005-10-25

Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) recorded almost everything in the standard orchestral repertoire once, many works two or three times, between his 1950s recordings for EMI with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the early 1960s for Decca with the Vienna Philharmonic, and his 1960s - 1989 recordings, mostly with the Berlin Philharmonic, for Deutsche Grammophon. In this collection of Tchaikovsky's 6 Symphonies, Karajan's only recordings of Symphonies 1, 2 and 3 are represented, dating from 1979 at the end of the analog era of recording technology, just before digital recordings became the norm. Symphonies 4, 5, and 6 date from 1976, and are analog sound, and Karajan's 2nd recording of these famous, oft recorded works for DG; he recorded Symphonies 4,5,6 in the mid 1960s with the Berlin Philharmonic, and again in the late 1980s for DG (with the Vienna Philharmonic). Karajan also recorded Symphonies 5 and 6 in Berlin for EMI in the 1970s. Whew! It gets confusing keeping track of all these recordings!

Karajan does best here with Symphonies 1 and 2. Symphony 1, "Winter Dreams" has tempos slightly slower than some conductors take, but things never drag, and the playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is so beautiful and expressive. Symphony 2, "Little Russian" also has slightly slower than average tempos, but is very well paced, and sounds very beautiful under Karajan's direction. III and IV are very well played, with appropriate spirit and fire.

Symphony 3, nicknamed "Polish" by Tchaikovsky's publisher (not the composer!) is really strange, as Karajan conducts some fast sections at slower than usual tempos, and the slow movements at faster than usual tempos. It borders on the bizarre. Worst of all is V, the "Polacca" movement which drags mercilessly in the coda, towards the end. Every other recording I've heard really hauls this final section at a hell-for-leather pace, but Karajan goes very slowly until the final section of the coda. This is the most mannered recording I've heard of Karajan, and the poorest recording I've heard of this least recorded symphony by Tchaikovsky, which I dearly love.

Symphony 4 is very well played, but cold, and clinical in it's execution. Symphonies 5 and 6 are well played, too, but competition here with other recordings is fierce, and there are some pizzicato (plucked string) passages in Symphony 5: II which are not together, and really spoil the feeling of continuity in this movement. Also, Symphony 5 is generally played legato to the extreme, and very slowly in parts which should move at a faster pace. I can't say why I don't like Karajan's later Tchaikovsky symphonies, I just don't and prefer other recordings.

The recorded sound is quite good throughout, but I wouldn't recommend this, for the reasons mentioned above.

If I were building a "dream collection" of Tchaikovsky Symphonies, I would recommend:

Symphony 1 "Winter dreams" - Michael Tilson Thomas/Boston Symphony (DG)

Symphony 2 "Little Russian" - Igor Markevitch/London Symphony (Philips Duo, with Symphonies 1 and 3)

Symphony 3, "Polish" - Antoni Wit/Polish national Radio Orchestra (Naxos)

Symphony 4 - Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra (Sony Essential Classics)

Symphony 5 - Seiji Ozawa/Berlin Philharmonic (DG Eloquence series)

Symphony 6 - Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra (Sony Essential Classics)

The best Tchaikovsky boxed set of the symphonies ever.......2005-07-25

I've heard many of the Tchaikovsky symphonies in the different stages of Karajan career, and you simply can't go wrong with this set that was recorded from the mid to late 70's. I think the 6th and 3rd symphonies, and probably the 5th, are just about the best that could ever be recorded. There might be a few that could come close to matching this set, but it's almost impossible to surpass these superb recordings. The 5th has very fine analog sound, and is very exciting indeed. The 6th is among the loveliest I've heard, and I've heard quite a few. The 4th movement of the 6th, is quite moving, and often has brought me to tears. The movement needs a desperate hysteria, unlike a lot of versions that I heard that are played very cool and detached. The 6th also has very good sound also. The 3rd is probably hands down the best ever recorded. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th are also among the best, but there a probably a few that are better. This is the first Tchaikovsky boxed set I ever purchased, and I would never think about letting go of this great one!!!

P.S. Mr.Majeska- Are you insane to say that this DG Tchaikovsky 6th is subpar in any way. I've heard tons and tons of Sixth's and this is the most incredible version I've ever heard, so I wonder very much about your taste in at least the last Tchaikovsky Symphony (The Pathetique). That finale movement is so amazing it's beyond words to be quite honest. Karajan's Polish Symphony also is above reproach also, so buy an ounce of taste. And Ozawa is a very poor choice for the 5th, also, I might add. Check out Gerard Schwartz for Tchaikovsky's 1st and 2nd Symphonies also because they blow away Tilson-Thomas. Good day!!!!

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3, Marche Slave, Capriccio Italian

Average customer rating:

Please show me the way to Russia
Excellent performances - Typical 70s DG sound - If only....
Same Performances as Boxed Set
Give me Rozhdestvensky 's Angel recordings anyday.

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3, Marche Slave, Capriccio Italian

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies no 4, 5, & 6 / Karajan, Berlin PO
Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures
Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO
Schumann: The 4 Symphonies
Schubert: 8 Symphonies

ASIN: B00005V8YX
Release Date: 2002-01-02

Tracks:

Symphony No.1
Symphony No.2
Symphony No.3
Marche Slave
Capriccio Italien

Customer Reviews:

Please show me the way to Russia.......2005-11-04

Karajan was never able to rough up his conducting when it was needed. Polish and control were part of his musical personality, which means that when he approached rustic or not-yet-masterful works, like the first three symphonies of Tchaikovsky, he was fairly lost.

This tricky music can easily sound banal and under-composed, as it does here. It needs commitment from someone who feels its Slavic genes. The urbanity Karajan imposes is undermining. His personality fits better with the last three symphonies because, like all masterpieces, they are open to depth of interpretation. If you want to hear the earlier works sound at their dance-like best, I'd recommend Temirkanov on RCA--he doesn't care if he wipes off his boots before coming into the parlor.

Excellent performances - Typical 70s DG sound - If only...........2005-11-01

Herbert von Karajan's Tchaikovsky interpretations are justly famous and bountiful. The Tchaikovsky 6th was even one of the featured recordings in the world renown post-WWII Vienna Philharmonic recordings. Why was it, then, that he never recorded symphonies 1-3 until the late 1970s? It is a great loss that HVK did not get to record the early symphonies in, say, 1966, when he recorded his best renditions of Sym. 4-6, as well as other pieces, including the Marche Slave and Capriccio Italien feature on disc 2 of the set being reveiwed. His readings are on par with the best of his other Tchaikovsky recordings. But, the recordings of the 3 early syphonies were made during an era (mid-late 1970s) when DG must have had vested interest in a microphone manufacturer, for they used overly large numbers of mics, almost one per instrument, or so it seems. And the results lack atmosphere and reverberency. The same applies to the recordings of symphonies 4-6 made at the same time (Amazon ASIN B000001GYJ).

So, if you want von Karajan conducting Tchaikovsky, you have 2 choices :
1. Buy this set and the 2 CD compilation of the 1960s recordings of symphonies 4-6 (Amazon asin # B000001GCR).
2. Get the 8 cd box (Amazon asin # B00004SA8B), which contains everything in the above sets and more.

Same Performances as Boxed Set.......2004-03-13

Well, I made a mistake ordering this set from Amazon; an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. I figured that since Karajan's companion "2CD" set of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 4-6 was different than those contained on the DG "Collector's Edition" box set, that somehow these recordings of Symphonies 1-3 would be different as well. Wrong! Every performance on this double-disc, including "Marche Slave" and "Capriccio Italien," are identical to the accounts featured on the "Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky" 8CD box. Oh well, at least no one else will make the same mistake as long as they read this review.

Give me Rozhdestvensky 's Angel recordings anyday........2004-03-07

After listening to the works offered in this 2 CD set, I was struck by the degree of passion, intensity and precision effected by von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic during these recordings compared to that of other artists. More to the point, I have always enjoyed Gennady Rozhdestvensky's renditions of these three symphonies (released in the mid-70's on Melodiya Angel) because of the pacing, fire and sensitivity he was able to draw forth from the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and unfortunately the performances here don't quite match up in my book. They're good, but they simply don't leave the same positive impression after the last note is sounded.

Sauer: Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

Sauer: Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone Vol. 2
Ralph Sauer , Hector Berlioz , Cesar Franck , Zoltan Kodaly , Leos Janacek , Giuseppe Verdi , Robert Schumann , Johannes Brahms , Gustav Mahler , Paul Hindemith , Jean Sibelius , Alban Berg , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , and Sergey Prokofiev
Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hungarian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone

ASIN: B0000038KW
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Opening Remarks
Roman Carnival Ov
Romeo And Juliet
Sym in d
Hary Janos
Sinf
La Forza Del Destino
Syms No.2 & No.4
Syms No.3 & No.4
Sym No.1
Sym No.2
Sym No.5
Sym No.6
Sym No.7
Syms No.8 & No.9
Concertmusic
Sym No.7
Vn Con
Sym No.4
Sym No.5
Romeo And Juliet

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Nature's Symphonies: Surf & Sea

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

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Nature's Symphonies: Rainforest

ASIN: B000001V5L
Release Date: 1994-05-03

Tracks:

Surf & Sea: Pavane For A Dead Princess
Surf & Sea: Fur Elise
Surf & Sea: Laudate Dominum
Surf & Sea: Italian Symphony, 3rd Movement
Surf & Sea: Waltz In A Flat
Surf & Sea: Pastoral Symphony, 2nd Movement
Surf & Sea: Symphony #5
Surf & Sea: 'Surprise' Symphony #94, 2nd Movement
Surf & Sea: Badinerie
Surf & Sea: Anitra's Dance
Surf & Sea: Symphony #3, 3rd Movement
Surf & Sea: Fantasy Overture From Romeo & Juliet
Surf & Sea: Impromptu A Flat Major 142
Surf & Sea: Love Dream #3

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Great Melodies Of The Classics

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

Fanfare (Masterpiece Theater Theme)
Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Major, BWV 1068: Air For The G String
Canon In D Major
The Spring In E Major, Op.8, No.1: Allegro
The Spring In E Major, Op.8, No.1: Largo e pianissimo sempre
The Spring In E Major, Op.8, No.1: Allegro: Rustic Dance
Water Music Suite: Allegro
Water Music Suite: Air
Water Music Suite: Bouree - Handel_
Water Music Suite: Hornpipe - Handel_
Water Music Suite: Andante expressivo - Handel_
Water Music Suite: Hornpipe - Handel_
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 In F Major, BWV1047: (Allegro) - Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 In F Major, BWV1047: Andante - Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 In F Major, BWV1047: Allegro assai - Bach
Table Music Overture - Telemann
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV565 - Bach

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro Con Brio
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Allegro
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Romanze: Andante
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Menuetto: Allegretto
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Rondo: Allegro
Symphony No.94 In G Major, Surprise: Adagio: Vivace Assai
Symphony No.94 In G Major, Surprise: Andante
Symphony No.94 In G Major, Surprise: Menuet: Allegro Molto
Symphony No.94 In G Major, Surprise: Finale: Allegro Di Molto
Symphony no.5 In B-Flat Major: Allegro Vivace - Schubert
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467: Andante - Mozart
Beethoven: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Beethoven

Tracks:

Light Cavalry Overture
Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64: Valse: Allegro moderato
William Tell: Overture
Bolero
Die Fledermaus (The Bat): Overture
A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite: Overture
A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite: Scherzo
A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite: Nocturne
A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite: Wedding March - Mendelssohn
A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite: Puck's Dance - Mendelssohn

Tracks:

The Valkyrie: Ride Of The Valkyries
Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: Dawn
Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: Death Of Ase
Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: Anitra's Dance
Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: In The Hall Of The Moutain King
Les Preludes
Orpheus In The Underworld: Overture
My Country: The Moldau
The Afternoon Of A Faun: Prelude
Carmen: The Toreadors
Carmen: Habanera
Carmen: March Of The Smugglers

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6 - Mikhail Pletnev

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Not a bad conductor
You could do worse...
More Exciting Tchaikovsky from Pletnev
This Sad Pletnev Story
Not the best around; but DEFINITELY not the worst....

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6 - Mikhail Pletnev
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Mikhail Pletnev , and Russian National Orchestra
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos, Symphony Pathetique, The Seasons, & Piano Pieces; Mikhail Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra (4 CD's)

ASIN: B000001GSB
Release Date: 2005-03-21

Tracks:

Symphony No.1 In G Minor Op.13: Daydreams On A Wintry Road - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.1 In G Minor Op.13: O Land Of Gloom, O Land Of Mist! - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.1 In G Minor Op.13: Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No.1 In G Minor Op.13: Finale: Andante lugubre - Allegro moderato - Allegro maestoso - Andante lugubre - Allegro vivo - P.I. Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

Symphony No.2 In C Minor Op.17: Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
Symphony No.2 In C Minor Op.17: Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
Symphony No.2 In C Minor Op.17: Scherzo - Alegro molto vivace - Trio
Symphony No.2 In C Minor Op.17: Moderato assai - Allegro vivo - Presto
Symphony No.4 In F Minor Op.36: Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima - Moderato assai, quasi Andante - Allegro vivo
Symphony No.4 In F Minor Op.36: Andantino in modo di canzone
Symphony No.4 In F Minor Op.36: Scherzo - Pizzicato ostinato - Allegro
Symphony No.4 In F Minor Op.36: Finale- Allegro con fuoco

Tracks:

Symphony No.3 In D Major Op.29: Introduzione e Allegro - Moderato assai (Tempo di marcia funebre) - Allegro brillante
Symphony No.3 In D Major Op.29: Alla tedesca - Allegro moderato e semplice - Trio
Symphony No.3 In D Major Op.29: Andante elegiaco
Symphony No.3 In D Major Op.29: Scherzo - Allegro vivo - Trio
Symphony No.3 In D Major Op.29: Finale - Allegro con fuoco (Tempo di Polacca)

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 In E Minor Op.64: Andante - Allegro con anima
Symphony No.5 In E Minor Op.64: Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza - Moderato con anima - Andante mosso - Allegro non troppo - Tempo I
Symphony No.5 In E Minor Op.64: Valse - Allegro moderato
Symphony No.5 In E Minor Op.64: Finale - Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace - Molto vivace - Moderato assai e molto maestoso - Presto

Tracks:

Symphony No.6 In B Minor Op. 74 'Pathetique': Adagio - Allegro non troppo - Andante - Moderato mosso Allegro vivo - Andante come prima - Andante mosso
Symphony No.6 In B Minor Op. 74 'Pathetique': Allegro con grazia
Allegro molto vivace
Symphony No.6 In B Minor Op. 74 'Pathetique': Finale - Adagio lamentoso - Andante

Amazon.com

A disaster. These dull, lackluster performances demonstrate conclusively that, however interesting Mikhail Pletnev may be as a pianist, he simply does not yet know how to conduct an orchestra. How can you tell? Because as a pianist he's willful, rhapsodic, eccentric, but full of ideas and never boring. As a conductor, he's metronomic, reserved, inhibited, and simply unable to impress any interpretive character on the music at all. And despite the fact that these are recent digital recordings, they don't even sound that great. Avoid. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Not a bad conductor.......2007-05-18

Oh, please. These are terrible, yes, but Pletnev is (or can be) a wonderful conductor when he is "in the mood." For example, his Tchaikovsky Overtures (on a 3-disc Virgin set) are wonderful, colorful, musical. Same with his Prokofiev Cinderella.

I admit it is interesting to learn about Pletnev's rather flashy religious conversion. It explains a lot about his "sleepiness" at the keyboard post 1990. (For some horrific examples of this bad trait, listen to his two Chopin albums, or his Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto, or his Scarlatti Sonatas - ugh. Where's the color, drive, and music in these performances?)

It also explains strange little comments made by some reviewers about Pletnev, stuff about "his truly human humility," "his deep, unaggressive humility," that sort of thing. If the Russian Orthodox religion is THAT boring - placing a premium on "humility" and "nonaggression" in artistic matters - then we're in for a lot of boring records by Mikhail. It isn't "touching" or "profound" to play the Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev Third as if you haven't had your morning coffee yet.

You could do worse..........2003-03-06

You could do worse'Pletnev isn't as bad a conductor as some make him out to be (his recording of Tchaikovsky's Sixth on Virgin records is actually quite spectacular). Tchaikovsky is my favorite symphonic composer, and while only his later 3 have achieved popularity, his first 3 are very enjoyable. They may lack the intensity of the 4th or 6th, and the poignancy of the 5th, and the form is noticeably sophomoric, but they do contain some fairly ingenious musical ideas and thematic elements. If you are thinking of buying just 2 or 3 of the symphonies, it is undoubtedly worth the money to purchase all 6 (7 if you include Manfred). This set is the best you can get for the under fifty dollars, but it isn't the best set you can buy. Pletnev does am outstanding job with the quieter and less intense moments of the music. His slow movements are absolutely touching (with the exception of the final movement of the final symphony, which, though slow and mournful, requires a more underlying intensity that is lacking here). The second movement's heart stopping opening chord sequence is simply some of the most beautiful music ever written, and Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra make it all the more touching. Unfortunately, the music does lack intensity. The climax of the sixth symphony's first movement is very intense, but other many other points in the music lack that same passion. At times, the balance of the orchestra can be a little off as well. There are actually several themes and motifs that I never knew were there (because they were drowned out) until I looked at the score. So if you don't want to spend to much money on these amazing pieces, this is a good set, but if you a more dedicated classicalist, I would recommend springing for an alternate set.

More Exciting Tchaikovsky from Pletnev.......2000-02-12

Mikhail Pletnev burst onto the conducting scene nearly a decade ago with an electrifying account of Tchaikovsky's 6th with this same orchestra on Virgin classics. Indeed, that recording is the most viscerally exciting account of the 6th ever committed to disc. Though this set of all Tchaikosvky's symphonies does not quite attain the same heights, it is still an exciting traversal of the great Russian's output in this genre. (And, contrary to the opinion expressed by the Russian reviewer below, Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies are also brilliant masterworks.) It is a pity that DG was not more generous, failing to include the fill-ups mentioned by the reviewer from Singapore; nevertheless, this is authentic Tchaikovsky from one of the most exciting Russian conductors (and pianists) alive today. Do not hesitate to hear this!

This Sad Pletnev Story.......2000-02-07

I have to respectfully disagree with the other two gentlemen who left rather excited reviews, and agree with the editorial blurb. Pletnev is no conductor. It's a sad example of this typical trend when every good actor presumes s/he will and, for some reason, should make a good director, just as every other pianist rushes into conducting for the same reasons. This just doesn't work -- Julia Roberts directing and Pletnev conducting... oh, please! -- they only deprive us all and themselves of great performances they could have done in the areas where they are professionals. (Thank goodness Richter was doing what he was doing, and wasn't worried about "conductor's fame"). Think of Ashkenazy, too -- an outstanding pianist but a mediocre conductor. His conducting isn't bad, it's okay, but for every performance of his, there are always at least a couple of other recordings you would unmistakably choose over. The first thing about Pletnev is, his performance (including that of a pianist) has notably worsened over the last 15 years or so (these were the years of his infatuation with conducting, and with Russian Orthodox religion -- the latter has made him duller in every sense). When he was younger, he had a very fresh pianistic style and there was much excitement about him (same story with Kissin, by the way, who is getting duller and duller as the time goes). Then, under Gorbachev, when religion suddenly became a fashion among Russian intellectuals, he started doing these weird things -- he would come to a concert with a huge pretentious cross hanging over his dress (you'd think religion is a personal thing and a cross, if it means something, is to be kept under your shirt). There was much window-dressing in that. I was a student in Moscow at the time, and we would just laugh at the guy when we sat at his performances in Moscow Conservatory. The problem is, not only did he look like a boring Russian Orthodox "pop" (ie. priest), but he eventually started to "behave" like one. What I mean is, this stupid show he put on influenced his entire performing style. He became "slow and dull". He would stand there in front of the orchestra with his head down, his eyes closed and his face depicting some super-tragic emotion without any movement every other minute in the middle of the play, putting both the orchestra and everybody listening asleep. A similar thing happened to his style of a pianist -- a young energetic Pletnev who played Prokofiev's 8th sonata on par with Horowitz was gone; a new boring Pletnev who would sleep over the keyboard was born. That's the whole story. I simply can't listen to Pletnev's late work. As for his conducting in particular, I have to agree again with the editorial opinion -- it lacks any interpretive qualities. It is sour and dull. When I listened to these Tchaikovsky's pieces, I couldn't but vividly imagine Pletnev standing there "asleep" with his head down and the orchestra just going without him. By the way, speaking of the orchestra, the so called "Russian National" is a rather boring collective too (well, I guess, they found each other). It used to be "Moscow State Philharmonic" at the time of the Soviet Union, and it was only good at playing pop arrangements at "gala" kind of events. At about the same time Pletnev took over it, they renamed it "Russian National" but it didn't make it any better -- it never lived up to the standards of, for example, Svetlanov's orchestra (leave alone former Mravinsky's Leningrad Philharmonic...). I wouldn't advise this dull record to anyone -- the only justifiable reason to buy it is: you are a music student and have to learn all pros & contras around. If you are just after a nice performance of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, check the 5th in Gergiev's version and the 6th in Karajan's or even Muti's (or Svetlanov's, if you are into a more "Russian" experience). As for Tchaikovsky's earlier symphonies, I don't know why anyone would want to listen to them (the guy was a big phony in his early years). Basically, with the name Pletnev, stay away from everything that was recorded after 1990. Some of his earlier piano stuff is wonderful, though.

Not the best around; but DEFINITELY not the worst...........1999-11-10

Pletnev's Tchaikovsky cycle though not the best around ( c.f Jansons/Oslo PO ; Karajan/BPO) but yet is still very much worth a listen. Sound carries much of a typical Russian orchestra which Tchaikovsky might have intended when writing these works -big and brassy. Carries some unique and memorable moments eg. beginning of Sym. No. 6 1st Movt - the air of mystery and groom before the basoon entrance. Though it might have the sheer white-heat of the same sym. previously recorded under Virgin ( by Pletnev/RSO)previously, interpretation and performance is still marked to be one of the best around...Major minus point is that this set ( which is full-price for 5 CDs) is also available separately in 6 CDs which carries interesting fillers like the Tempest, R&J Overture and Capriccio Italtien just to name a few. Janson with Oslo PO is still first choice ( together with a electrifying performance of the Manfred) but interesting performances as this should not be missed as well...