Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Evgeni Mravinsky recorded stunning stereo versions of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies for Deutsche Grammophon, and those recordings remain the foundation of any Tchaikovsky record collection. These earlier mono versions have their admirers, and they are every bit as fine, but if you have the stereo recordings, there's no reason to opt for these unless you're a serious Mravinsky maven. On this set, Kurt Sanderling conducts the Fourth--a performance as different from Mravinsky's as it is possible to imagine, but equally legitimate in its Teutonic seriousness. --David Hurwitz

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6, Music, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Kurt Sanderling, Yevgeny Mravinsky, Leningrader Philharmonie, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Romantic Symphony, Symphonic

Average customer rating:

Tchaikovsky Raw and Unrefined

THE REAL RUSSIAN SOUND

WORTH the FOURTH!!!!

DYNAMIC, BUT RATHER ONE DIMENSIONAL

TESTAMENT

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6
Mravinsky , and Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Prokofiev, Shostakovich: Violin Concertos no 1 / Rostropovich, Vengerov

ASIN: B000E0W24S
Release Date: 2006-02-01

Tracks:

Symphony No.4 In F Minor, Op.36
Symphony No.5 In E Minor, Op.64
Symphony No.6 In B Minor, Op.74 -"Pathique"

Album Details

There Has Never Been a More Legendary Set of Tchaikovsky's Last Three Symphonies Than These 1960 Interpretations Recorded in Stereo by Evgeny Mravinsky on Tour with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in London and Vienna.

Customer Reviews:

Tchaikovsky Raw and Unrefined.......2007-07-23

My favorite Tchaikovsky symphony cycle was done by Karajan and the BPO in the mid to late 70s. I have symphonies 1 to 3 on vinyl LPs and the last 3 on CD. Karajan also did the last three on video in the 1980s with the Vienna Philharmonic and they give his BPO cycle a real good run for the money. I go for long walks almost daily and have had the Karajan Tchaikovsky symphonies in my MP3 player for several months. I am glad I have symphony 5 on CD for if it were vinyl I would have worn the grooves out by now.

Karajan's take on Tchaikovsky, as with much of his music, is very controlled, refined, silky smooth, and beautiful. The BPO and the Vienna Phil are great instruments allowing him to get the sound he wants. Karajan sometimes has been criticized for this elegance in sound. This is really unfair. The elegance is only part of the story. For example, if you listen to the early 60s Beethoven 5th or the 4th movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th you will find the playing to be very vigorous and exciting. On the one hand the playing is elegant; on the other the playing will rock the house. Tchaikovsky's symphony 5, 4th movement is one of the great hoots I have ever heard and will re cue it 2 or 3 times when I am walking.

At the other end of the spectrum is Mravinsky and his renditions of Tchaikovsky's last 3 numbered symphonies. The sound is raw, not refined. If the playing is elegant, this was not by design. The orchestral sound often is much smaller with the feel of a chamber ensemble. Once you hear these renditions, and then Karajan's, you will know why the elegance criticism has been lodged against Karajan.

Some of us from the land of PDQ Bach do not mind more than one take on a musical score! I am still waiting for the PDQ MOOG Tchaikovsky CD to hit the market. I do have Stokowski's Phase 4 Concert Series Tchaikovsky 5th LP that will do until the PDQ version comes out.

I have Mravinksy's Tchaikovsky in a 3 LP boxed set that had a 4th LP, Tchaikovsky Ballet orchestral suites, by Karajan thrown in as a bonus. The Mravinsky performances are distinctively different from Karajan's and are a thrill to hear. The first time I heard symphony 4, I must have muttered WOW 4 or 5 times. My sole criticism of these recordings is that the sound is not as good as one would want. Kinda like a garage band from Leningrad and Mravinsky is the leader of the band.

You should have plenty of room in your cyber space for both Karajan's and Mravinsky's Tchaikovsky and you will be missing out if you do not have both.

THE REAL RUSSIAN SOUND.......2007-04-25

I have to admit to not being one of Tchaikovsky's greatest fans. It is one of those deadspots in one's love of music that I've no doubt is my loss. A master melodist, certainly. But I find him too repetitious; all that interminable sequencing seems more of a nervous habit than a genuine means of musical expression; and, yes, he does wear his highly Romantic heart on a sleeve that seems a little threadbare on real musical content for a symphonist. So a recording has to go some to capture my attention, never mind my affection.

These recordings certainly go some. And then some more. You'd be hard-pushed to find performances of anything that maintain such a white-hot level of intensity throughout three fairly long symphonies.

When Mravinsky brought the Leningrad Philharmonic to the West in 1956, both conductor and orchestra were a pretty unknown quantity. It was the height of the Cold War and, while a reputation preceded them, no-one was quite sure what to expect. Mravinsky and his assistant, Kurt Sanderling, shared the conducting of these last three Tchaikovsky symphonies and recorded them in mono then. Many people prefer those recordings to these stereo remakes of 4 years later. Personally, I prefer the later versions. It's good sound for its period, if slightly edgy in a way that suits the Leningrad sound well. It's in stereo. And you get Mravinsky in all three symphonies.

He is a master of this Russian repertoire - making it sound and feel very Russian indeed. He is certainly not afraid of bending and shaping things to his individual view of the works. There is usually a fairly heavy foot on the brake before lyrical second subjects. There is an impetuosity about faster movements that often requires modifications of tempo later. Rubato is frequent, often indulgent, but never wilful - it's always used to clarify texture, to give a melody its full weight or to emphasise structure (where there is structure rather than just a succession of events!). The brass fanfares of the very opening of the Fourth Symphony will have you on the edge of your seat and you will likely stay there for the rest of the 2-disc set. The pizzicato Scherzo has real style and panache. And the Finale sets off at an absolutely electrifying zip - a zip which it maintains right through to the end. And so it goes on through all these symphonies. The Pathetique in particular comes across as a real symphony rather than a wallow in Russian morbidity. There is huge power in the march. And the Finale plumbs true depths. Make no mistake: these are very special performances.

Mravinsky had the reputation of being a dictator in front of an orchestra. Certainly the sound that he produced from his Leningraders was very distinctive. Compared to the homogeneity of sound that we get from today's international, jet-setting orchestras where they all sound like clones of each other, it is sad to see the passing of these `national' schools of orchestral timbre. The Leningrad Philharmonic in those days boasted strong, virile yet warm string playing, an edgy tone to the woodwind that is excellent for penetrating dense orchestra textures (perhaps their instruments weren't top-notch and the lack of top-quality reeds in the Soviet Union may have had something to do with it, too), a certain stridency in the trumpet section and that totally unique Slav sound in the horns - lots of vibrato, slightly wobbly eve, but based, they said, on the human voice. They all play like demons for their long-term conductor. These are thrilling, moving, cogent, committed ensemble performances, all three. And, while I don't yet count myself a complete convert to the Tchaikovsky cause, I'm certainly ready to proselytise on behalf of such exceptional music-making.

WORTH the FOURTH!!!!.......2007-01-21

I think this is the best and most exciting interpretation and performance of Tchaik 4 that I've ever heard (from the start of mvt 1 - to the crashing finale). This CD is worth it alone for the playing that Mravinsky and the Leningrad Phil do on Tchaik 4.

The other symphonies are quite good, but i feel there are better recordings out there (Gergiev Tchaik 6 is unbeatable).

What makes the 4th here so wonderful? Well, it's quite simply the ferver, commitment, and drive that these players muster up to push this wonderful symphony throughout.

It is extreme - the musicians are pushing themselves to the limits - which I feel is what Tchaikovsky is about. The playing on this disc is full of passion, which I would take over anything else in music. Passion.

A wonderful performance all around, you won't be dissapointed by symphonies 5 and 6 in the slightest, but I don't feel they are the best versions.

This CD is a MUST HAVE for all Tchaik fans.

DYNAMIC, BUT RATHER ONE DIMENSIONAL.......2006-07-15

These performances are justly famous for the fervor of the playing and conducting. They are riveting on a certain level. They are considered to be examples of an authentically Russian style of Tchaikovsky interpretation. But what I hear is the aural equivalent of 1960's Soviet militarism. Yes, a nearly hysterical dynamism can be considered an element of some of Tchaikovsky's music. But he was also criticized by Russian critics for being too European and effete. The lyrical and dance-oriented elements of these symphonies are totally neglected in these performances. Most of the beautiful melodies and waltzes go for nothing here. A military march approach dominates. Yet these performances are landmarks in the stylistic history of Tchaikovsky performance and should be heard.

But for more musically sophisticated and yet dramatic performances of these symphonies, I recommend Monteux and strangely enough, Klemperer. And why hasn't Munch's magnificent performance of #4 ever been released on CD?

TESTAMENT.......2006-05-15

Shaw once said loftily that Tchaikovsky has a thoroughly Byronic ability to be intensely tragic about nothing much. Without going quite so far, I'd certainly agree that a certain sepulchral tone and a propensity to whip up frantic emotion come to him easily. I don't think I ever heard the start of the 5th symphony expressed with quite such cavernous gloom as it is on this set nor the frenzy more frenzied, and that is exactly how I like it all done.

This set dates from 1960, the height of the cold war, and at that time Mravinsky had been very little heard in what we used to call `the west'. It was a period when western critics were inclined to favour a smoothed-over play-safe school of interpretation of the musical classics. This had something to be said for it as a reaction against the libertarian excesses of some previous schools, but it descended into a facile mediocrity based to all intents and purposes on checklists and box-ticking, reaching its nadir in the 70's and 80's when the main aesthetic preoccupation in many commentaries was the issue of how many repeats had been observed. Myself, I am thoroughly in favour of professionalism from professional musicians, but on the other hand I don't find checklists a very illuminating guide through the gardens of the muses. It also seemed to me that our ideas of how to play Tchaikovsky were probably too influenced by our ideas of the Viennese classics, and the advent of Mravinsky in London came none to soon.

It was enlightening to me to compare Mravinsky's account of the 4th symphony with a fine modern version from Abbado and the Vienna Philharmonic. On the checklist approach Abbado does very well indeed. I don't impugn the professionalism of the Leningrad orchestra in any way when I suggest that they are not quite the equal technically of the Vienna players, something I noticed particularly in the pizzicato effects in the third movement. However when it came to the question which interpretation had the greater individuality and sense for the composer's idiom, the answer was not long in coming. Put simply, Mravinsky's performance is an event, and Abbado's, by comparison, is not. This is not a matter of taking undue liberties with the tempo. The 4th symphony does not call for that, and Mravinsky deploys only a very normal ebb and flow. The tone-quality has more to do with it, and I find myself bewitched by the penetrating sound of the Leningrad woodwind and brass, but most of all it's a matter of the expression. A great interpretation of Tchaikovsky must put across a sense of neurosis without losing control. Quite apart from the tragedy, gloom and semi-hysteria there must be a tense and nervy feel to the gaiety, and the lyric sections should seem like balm on wounds, and these are the senses I get uniquely from Mravinsky.

When it comes to the 5th, the liner-note has some fairly superficial and noncommittal remarks about freedom of tempo and `authenticity'. The issue here seems to me to be that Tchaikovsky is trying to achieve something more distinct than before from the Viennese style. The tightly integrated structure of a first movement at which Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms were so adept was not his natural style, and he lacked their mastery in varying the lengths of musical phrases. His first movement is more a succession of short episodes, and without labouring the question of authenticity I'd say that the sense of the music demands a certain amount of flexilibity, although this composer does not micro-specify the details in the way Mahler does. As a comparison from a different standpoint I played my version from Celibadache. By contrast Mravinsky sounds the soul of `correctness', notably in the first movement where Celibadache starts the allegro at a funereal pace, getting much faster a little later. I don't recommend it as any model, but it has the feel of real Tchaikovsky to me, and I prefer it to any 10 spick-and-span western versions. So does Mravinsky, and I appreciate the comment in the liner that he shows some of the virtues of Toscanini and of Fuertwaengler combined.

With the 6th Tchaikovsky has finally got his formula right. Instead of a seamless Viennese first movement he writes great separate blocks of music, and Mravinsky plays the effect up with long pauses between them. In the finale he abandons `cyclic form', which doesn't amount to a form but is just a matter of bringing back themes from earlier movements in the finale. Brahms's 3rd shows how the thing can be done, but late romantic symphonists in general are not such musical aristocrats as Brahms. The device is something I learned to dread. Dvorak uses it, but not in his best works, it lets down even so great a composition as Franck's symphony, and in Tchaikovsky's 5th the matter is carried to such excess that it takes Mravinsky or Celibadache to make it tolerable to me. The 6th leaves all that behind, and I never heard a performance to equal this. I recall some comment many years ago to the effect that this 1960 stereo version is not the equal of his 1956 epoch-maker in mono, but I own both and I find little to choose.

This set, for me, is what Tchaikovsky is all about. The orchestral discipline is total, the sound is thrilling (compare Mravinsky at the start of any of these symphonies with anyone you like), this that and the next detail is better than in any other version, but it's the overall sense of communication of the personality of Russia's greatest composer that grips me. The question that the liner poses in its last paragraph is a false antithesis. The 6th shows Tchaikovsky at the height of his powers and is also a suicide note. Blackmail can never have had so eloquent an outcome.

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

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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: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6 "Pathetique"

Average customer rating:

Towering Musical Masterpieces!
Passion --- passion.
There's a REASON why these are legendary recordings!
From the review in Gramophone
Only Russians can really do Russian!

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6 "Pathetique"

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000001G8B
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36: 1. Andante sostenuto- Moderato con anima - Moderato assai, quasi Andante - Allegro vivo - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36: 2. Andantino in modo di canzone - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo. Pizzicato ostinato. Allegro - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36: 4. Finale. Allegro con fuoco - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op.64: 1. Andante - Allegro con anima - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor, Op.64: 2. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza- Moderato con anima- Andante mosso- Allegro non troppo- Tempo I - P.I. Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

Symphony 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: 3. Valse. Allegro moderato - Tchaikovsky
Symphony 5 In E Minor, Op. 64: 4. Finale: Andante maetoso - Allegro vivace - Molto vivace - Moderato assai - Moderato assai e molto maestoso - Presto - Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 74 'Pathetique': 1. Adagio--Allegro non troppo - Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 74 'Pathetique': 2. Allegro con grazia - Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 74 'Pathetique': 3. Allegro molto vivace - Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 74 'Pathetique': 4. Finale: Adagio lamentoso - Tchaikovsky

Amazon.com essential recording

These recordings by Evgeny Mravinsky and his Leningrad Philharmonic, taped in the autumn of 1960 while they were on tour in London, are among the absolute classics of the catalog. They are readings of hair-raising intensity--the finale of the Fourth is marked allegro con fuoco, and if you want to know what con fuoco means, all you have to do is listen for a moment. No one else has ever had the nerve, or the ability, to play the music this way. The treatment is very Russian: the extremes are more extreme, the passions more feverish, the melancholy darker, the climaxes louder. In that department, the development section of the first movement of the Pathètique has to be heard to be believed. The sound is remarkably good for the time, a little edgy in the loudest pages but wonderfully present, just like the performances themselves. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Towering Musical Masterpieces!.......2007-02-22

Of course, everyone knows that Tchaikovsly was a great musical genius. The Nutcracker and his other ballets are enough proof of that. But, he blessed us with THREE great symphonies. Besides the beautiful melodies in these symphonies, I would like to point out that these symphonies "tell a story"---each one of them. Tchikovsky called them "program symphonies". I will mention only the beginnign and end of the 6th symphony. On records the beginning and end seem "boring"----too faint in volumn and too "depressing". But, when I heard this symphony in person a few years a ago I reaslized that the beginning seems to represent "nothingness"....and the ending the same..."back to nothingness". So the symphony is about "a person's life"...coming from "death" or "non-existence" and returning, at the end, to the same. Then, the other parts are "the life" of the person with love, anger, fear, depicted often in beautiful melody and dramatic music. I hope the above gives the reader who may not know Tchakovsky's 6th an idea about "what it is about" and "why it is a great symphony".... Boland7214@aol.

Passion --- passion........2007-01-22

This is, In my humble opinion, the finest recording and performance of Tchaik 4 on record.

What is so great about this performance (T4) is that Mravinsky somehow gets this group to play like it's the last time they'll ever play their musical instruments. There's a passion - and a fervor - and a drive that they play with that is breath-taking. From the ROCKING horns at the symphony's open to the burning finale (which I think is the FASTEST on record), this is a wonderful recording.

Also - the fourth symphony offers some of the most technically accurate and clean performances of this stirring music.

Truth be told, this fifth symphony is probably the weakest of the three represented on this disc, but it still has its wonderful moments. I recommend Szell/Cleveland.

And finally the lush, romantic, beautiful, sweeping sixth symphony. Mravinsky and the Leningrad boys really play their hearts out on this one.

This CD is really for the musicians musician. Yes, at times, the brass get crass and a little strident - but the emotion and their will and commitment make up for the sometimes lack of tone-quality.

You will not be dissapointed, I promise.

It's worth the fourth!

There's a REASON why these are legendary recordings!.......2006-11-09

Just do yourself a favor and go down to your local library and check this recording out for yourself. THEN you will understand what all the fuss is about. Everyone of the Leningrad musicians played as if their hair was on fire. Maybe it's too over-the-top for you, but you won't be bored and you will never forget it.

The only reasons to consider other versions are the expense and I hate having the 5th split up on 2 separate disks. But otherwise, this is THE recording of these pieces to have (I also like Karajan).

From the review in Gramophone.......2006-08-16

"These stereo recordings are classics of the gramophone, landmarks not just of Tchaikovsky interpretation, but of recorded orchestral performances in general. The Leningrad Philharmonic play like a wild stallion, only just held in check by the willpower of its master. Every smallest movement is placed with fierce pride; at any moment it may break into such a frenzied gallop that you hardly know whether to feel exhilirated or terrified. The whipping up of excitement towards the fateful outbursts in Symphony No. 4 is astonishing---not just for the discipline of the stringendos themselves, but for the pull of psychological forces within them. Symphony No. 5 is also mercilessly driven and pre-echoes of Shostakovichian hysteria are particularly strong in the coda's knife-edge of triumph and despair. No less powerfully evoked is the stricken tragedy of the Pathetique.

"Are the gentler aspects of the music overshadowed by such unremitting intensity? Perhaps. But it was after all the composer himself who wrote, a propos No. 4, that 'One's whole life is just a perpetual traffic between the grimness of reality and one's fleeting dreams of happiness.' With one or two exceptions all Mravinsky's interpretative decisions are rigorously based on the score---they sound startling because of the sharpness of profile he gives them, and because of the extraordinary unanimity of the orchestral playing. Rarely, if ever, can the prodigious rhythmical inventiveness of these scores have been so brilliantly demonstrated. The fanatical discipline is not something one would want to see casually emulated---few orchestras would stand for it in any case---but it is applied in a way which sees far into the soul of the music and never violates its spirit.

"Strictly speaking there is no real comparison with the Chandos issues, despite the fact that Jansons has for long been Mravinsky's assistant in Leningrad. His approach is warmer, less detailed, more classical, and in its way very satisfying, although his fondness for softening dynamics prior to a crescendo is close to a mannerism. The Oslo woodwind are clearly more refined---the fruity Leningrad horn solos are legendary, and their tremulous oboe sounds as though under threat of an extended Siberian holiday for any cracked notes. But the strings are no match for the cold steel of Leningraders, and there would be no question, one feels, of a nasty slip like the tuba's misreading in the first movement development of No. 5 being passed by Mravinsky. DG's refurbishing has been most successful, enhancing the immediacy of sound so appropriate to the lacerating intensity of the interpretations."

Only Russians can really do Russian!.......2006-05-29

I find this recording to be the most exciting of Tchaikovksy's finest works. Me being only a twenty-something, my musical tastes forged from video game soundtracks and drug-induced punk rock, it's probably hard to take me seriously. But I have been obsessively collecting classical music for nearly 3 years now, referring to multiple recordings checked out from my university library, and I find my personal measure of the effectiveness of a recording to be it's dramatic and emotional intensity. This recording most definitely takes it. It commands my attention, capturing an intense rhythmic impulse and blossoming from this constant flow. I compare Mravinsky's drammatic command to any of Carlos Kleiber's glorious recordings. Those interested in clarity and precision, not friendly to the old über romantic emotional overflow, will not object either. I believe this recording to possess enough integrity and balance of detail to please those types as well. A high recommendation indeed.

Average customer rating:

Abbado is better here than in Chicago
Still in the catalog because they are fine performances
Outstanding performances at an extraordinary price
In a field of modern stereo recordings, this is just okay.
Romantic Era Music At Its Best

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Back to Black

ASIN: B000001GHU
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

Symphonie No. 4 en Fa mineur, Op. 36: Andante sostenuto - moderato con anima - Moderato assai, quasi Andante - Allegro vivo
Symphonie No. 4 en Fa mineur, Op. 36: Andantino in modo di canzone
Symphonie No. 4 en Fa mineur, Op. 36: Scherzo, Pizzicato ostinado - Allegro
Symphonie No. 4 en Fa mineur, Op. 36: Finale, Allegro con fuoco
Symphonie No. 5 en Mi mineur, Op. 64 (debut): Andante - Allegro con anima
Symphonie No. 5 en Mi mineur, Op. 64 (debut): Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza - Moderato con anima - Andante mosso - Allegro non troppo - Temp I

Tracks:

Symphonie No. 5 en Mi mineur, Op. 64 (fin): Valse, Allegro moderato
Symphonie No. 5 en Mi mineur, Op. 64 (fin): Finale, Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace - Moderato vivace Moderato assai e molto maestoso - Presto
Symphonie No. 6 en Si mineur 'Pathetique', Op. 74: Adagio - Alegro non troppo - Andante - Moderato mosso - Andante - Moderato assai - Allegro vivo - Andante come priam - andante mosso
Symphonie No. 6 en Si mineur 'Pathetique', Op. 74: Allegro con grazia
Symphonie No. 6 en Si mineur 'Pathetique', Op. 74: Allegro molto vivace
Finale: Adagio lamentoso - Andante

Customer Reviews:

Abbado is better here than in Chicago.......2005-11-12

Claudio Abbado (born 1933) recorded Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 2,4,5,and 6 for DG in the early 1970s, and in the mid-late 1980s recorded all 6 Tchaikovsky symphonies in Chicago for CBS (Sony Classical). Abbado's earlier recordings, made with the Vienna Philharmonic (Symphonies 4 and 6) and London Symphony (Symphony 5) are much better than the later Chicago remakes. The DG recordings are stereo analog sound, and very good, but a little weak in the bass: turning on the "Loudness" or adjusting the bass frequencies on your equalizer (if you have one) can correct that deficiency. The later CBS recordings are digital, likely the inspiration for Abbado to re-record these works in a new format.

These are all excellent recordings, although Abbado will not blow away the competition in any of them. They are well played and reflect Tchaikovsky's longing, pathos, and (especially in 6) depression and despair, but are not overwrought with emotion and angst as Bernstein is in his late 1980s DG recording of 6.
I tend to prefer Beecham (EMI) or Ormandy (Sony) in 4; Ozawa/Berlin (DG) or Wit (Naxos) in 5; and Giulini/Philharmonia (EMI) or Ormandy (Sony) in 6. But I will listen to Abbado on DG, returning to him again and again.

These are a good buy if you want Tchaikovsky 4-6 in one neat package and don't want "over the top", emotional readings. Good sound.

Still in the catalog because they are fine performances.......2005-02-28

I became very attached to these symphonies when I was a teenager and remember the shock I felt in my first music theory lab when the graduate teaching assistant asked us who are favorite composers were and he dismissed Tchaikovsky as "chromatic drivel". Yes, in 1972 the academic serialists were still in high power, but still, what kind of hearing must be going on to not appreciate the genius for melody, drama, and poetic balance that fills each movement of these great symphonies? Musical form has always been important to me, but not to the point that geometry trumps poetry.

It is true that Tchaikovsky himself was very insecure about his skills as a symphonist. If you judge his music making against the Classicists, he does seem quite profligate in the musical material he introduces in his works. However, against the Romantic Tone Poems of Liszt and his pals, Tchaikovsky seems more classic. In the final analysis, who really cares. This is great music. Has a more tragic music ever been written than the last movement of the sixth symphony?

So, what about these recordings? They are indeed about thirty years old and recording sound has improved greatly since the seventies. So, if you are an audiophile, and the lushness of sound is the overwhelming criterion by which you judge recordings, these won't do. However, they do sound pretty good. One simple question we can ask is this. Why are these in the catalog when so many other recordings from that time are gone? I think the answer is clear. These are very passionate, intelligent, and beautiful performances of these works and deserve to remain in the catalog. Abbado leads the Vienna Philharmonic masterfully and the orchestra responds with great ensemble playing and very beautiful solo work. The brass sounds especially terrific and that is important in these works.

You really can't go wrong adding this recording of these symphonies to your collection and the price for the two disks is very good. Enjoy! Enthusiastically recommended.

Outstanding performances at an extraordinary price.......2004-10-26

I want to begin by acknowledging that there are acoustically superior versions of these symphonies available. This is inevitable as recording technology improves each generation and even each decade. But sonic quality is only one criterion by which to judge a disc, and by that standard this two-fer from Deutsche Grammophon is truly one of the more remarkable bargains in the current classical catalog, and for two reasons. First, each of these performances conducted by Claudio Abbado is among the finest to have been recorded in recent decades. While granting that beauty is in the ear of the beholder, it is hard to imagine that anyone would find much or anything to criticism in the performers. One quality I especially appreciate about them is Abbado's refusal to engage in the quality that one of the reviewers behold complained of in Tchaikovsky: sentimentalism. "Sentimentality" is not an adjective that automatically applies to Tchaikovsky's music, though it is unquestionably found in some performances of it. But in the finer performances, such as the ones found here or in an old classic such as Leopold Stokowski's version of "Francesca da Rimini" Tchaikovsky is most assuredly not presented as a sentimentalist. On this disc, for instance, Abbado restrains the orchestra throughout the 4th Symphony until the Finale, but even then he refuses to "milk" the music. On the whole, I think it fairer to say that Tchaikovsky is more often prey for sentimentalists.

The second reason this is such a remarkable bargain is the exceptionally low price. To obtain three outstanding performances of three popular symphonies at such a low price is quite unusual. For those of us who have to build our collections on a budget, it is not possible to express too much gratitude for bargain discs this fine.

I would like to add, however, that audiophiles are unlikely to enjoy this disc. Audiophiles, I will admit, perplex me. Obviously it is nice to have good recordings, but some discs that can serve as demonstration discs contain rather indifferent performances. There are probably a hundred recordings of Beethoven's 9th Symphony that surpass Furtwangler's famed performance, but how many of those truly surpass his interpretation? Do we really want to abandon our old recordings by conductors such as Beecham, Bruno Walter, or Barbirolli just because they fail to measure up as recordings to more recent recordings? For me, at least, great music is more about the interpretation of the music by a great conductor than which recording more precisely reproduces woodwinds. On this criterion, this remains an exceptional achievement, and to other financially strapped, non-audiophiles, I wholeheartedly recommend this set.

In a field of modern stereo recordings, this is just okay........2003-08-28

This is not a bad budget issue to start one's Tchaikovsky collection with. There are, however, many stereo versions by Abbado's peers which have surpassed these 1972-76 recordings.

The weakest performance here is that of the Fifth Symphony. Adding injury to what is already a very dryly-performed second movement, Abbado's quirky accelerations and agogic treatment of the earliest bars are so very reminiscent of his treatment of Brahms' Hungarian Dances!!! While this approach is entirely appropriate for the Brahms, here it imbues an unwanted frivolity to Tchaikovsky's darkly emotional score. In the Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky expressed his anguish over his homosexuality, and the worst disservice a conductor can do him is marginalize the dark opening of the first movement, as Abbado has done. He should have played the bars straight(oops) and more directly.

The Pathetique with the Vienna Philharmonic fares better. Technically, there is not much to criticise here. On the emotional front though, Abbado's performance has less investiture of intensity than Maazel's splendid version with the same orchestra. Given the scratchy recording of the Abbado, its appeal wanes next to the Maazel.

The Fourth Symphony is the best performance here, revealing an unexpected feeling of "Russianness", and worth buying this double-disc set for alone. The dry sound recording again detracts hoever, it is unfortunately bass-light. Karajan's version with the Berlin Philharmoniker, recorded in the same decade and under the same label, has far more weight and lustre. The BPO's virtuosity also reveals more details in Tchaikovsky's score, especially in the first movement, details which go unnoticed by Abbado and the VPO.

Anyway, all in all, this Tchaikovsky set is still worthy of consideration however swamped it may be by the competition.

Romantic Era Music At Its Best.......2002-09-01

Tchaikovsky's last three symphonies epitomizes the creme de la creme of 19th century Romantic music. Romanticism focused on tragedy, human suffering, spirituality, triumph, death, fantasy, romance and escapism. With the exception of Hector Berlioz' Symphony Fantastique, Tchaikovsky's last three symphony hold the record for the greatest romantic symphonies. In his fourth, an ominous, powerful fate theme is heard in its opening. Tchaikovsky was affected by the fate theme heard in Bizet's opera Carmen, and made a shattering first movement full of dramatic intensity. Its second movement is a more romantic, peaceful, daydreamish orchestral piece that is sure to inspire any poet, artist or lover. The 4th's finale is the definition of triumph and celebration, which continues to the finale of his fifth, only to rest on a sadder note in the melancholic, wistful andante. The Pathetique symphony, performed after Tchaikovsky's death, was his last gift to mankind, a requiem for a romantic, full of agony, torture, passion, love and ultimately death. There is no triumph here, and only if you are strong enough to bear the suffering in the music's hidden notes can u truly understand the symphony. Tchaikovsky's life was his music, and when he went with it, his soul remained in the music we hear in such great recordings as this one. Although Abbado is masterful, you can be sure to expect the same genius in the conductor Antal Dorati, who dedicated his life to refining Tchaikovsky's music. Listen, enjoy, these symphonies are a testatment of mankind with all its pain and joy. I don't understand why they haven't used it in a film score, or perhaps, they already have.

Average customer rating:

Refined late Tchaikovsky from a maestro not always at his best
Your best bet for these three works
Markevitch, y las otras tres sinfonias...
Romantic Expression: Tchaikovsky's Best Symphonies
Etheral heights, plain price

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4-6

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3
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ASIN: B00000416A
Release Date: 1993-08-10

Tracks:

Sym. No. 4: -. Andante sostenuto -- Moderato con anima
Sym. No. 4: II. Andantino in modo di canzona
Sym. No. 4: III. Scherzo -Allegro-
IV. Finale -Allegro con fuoco-
Sym. No. 5: -- I. Andante -- Allegro con anima
Sym. No. 5: II. Andante cantible, con alcuna licenza -- Moderato con anima

Tracks:

-Sym. No. 5-: III. Valse -Allegro moderato-
-Sym. No. 5-: IV. Finale -Andante maestoso -- Allegro vivace-
-Sym. No. 6-: I. Adagio -- Allegro non troppo
-Sym. No. 6-: II. Allegro con grazia
-Sym. No. 6-: III. Allegro molto vivace
-Sym. No. 6-: IV. Finale -Adagio lamentoso -- Andante-

Amazon.com

The last three symphonies remain for many listeners the ultimate expression of musical romanticism. Their gorgeous tunes, luscious orchestration, and huge emotional range tempt many interpreters to extremes of musical excess-- but not Igor Markevitch. These brilliantly played, exceptionally precise performances let the hysteria speak for itself, while focusing on the music's architectural strength. The results are uncommonly exciting, supple, and above all sensitive to the music's many beauties. Having withstood the test of time, and at two discs for the price of one, this might very well be a first choice for newcomers and collectors alike. Excellent recorded sound too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Refined late Tchaikovsky from a maestro not always at his best.......2007-07-15

There's no argument that Igor Markevitch, who first emerged as a composing prodigy in the era of Diaghalev, was a great conductor as well. But toward the end of his career his star waned, in large part due to a catastrophic hearing loss that came on suddenly. As a result, his later recordings are often a pale shadow of his earlier ones. Here he seems decidedly less than passionate and committed to Tchaikovksy's last three symphonies, yet thanks to the LSO's excelent playing and the precision of the interpretation, one remains interested.

Sym. #4 -- the first movement is steady, well balanced, and good in execution, but there's no special drama or excitment, and the movement's shape seems loose. The second movement Andantino, however, brings out some lovely solo wind playing, and Markevitch applies a refined touch. The Scherzo begins with drilled precision in the string pizzicatos that still manages to sound spontaneous. Too bad the trio loses momentum and starts to sag. The finale, taken at a clip, avoids sounding frenetic. Markevitch emphasizes the folkloric elements instead of the fireworks, and that works well, assuming ou don't mind the loss of visceral impact.

Sym. #5 -- I expected Markevitch to remain at fairly low temperature for the Fifth Sym., but this works benefits from such an approach more than the Fourth. The themes verge on the banal, and pumping up the rhetoric only makes the Fifth sound empty. One may long for Mravinsky's fiery interpretation, but in the first movement Markevitch shows that refinement and balance are a good alternative. The first horn plays his solo in the Andante cantabile with great stylishness (I assume it's Barry Tuckwell), and Markevitch for his part shapes the orchestral line elegantly. The third movement Waltz needs more energy and flair than it gets here, but there's no doubting Markevitch's ability to shape the line. For me, the finale can easily become vapid -- I don't find that Tchaikovsky's motto theme has as much depth as he thinks it does. Markevitch certainly doesn't whip things up; if an;ything, he's reticent to a fault. If you prefer a reserved, controlled reading a la Dohnanyi, this version will please you more than it did me.

Sym. #6 -- Oddly, the Pathetique starts off with some scrapy ensemble in the woodwinds, and Markevitch seems to proeed without much interest. Phrasing is ordinary, rhythms loose. Given the many great interpretations this work has received, Markevitch's is uninvolving. There are dramatic high points in the first movement, hwoever, and I really admire the way Markevitch digs into the 5/4 waltz -- he finds accents that no one else does. The third movement march has become a regular showpiece for orchestra, but here Markevitch seems to hold back. The clipped phrasing and foursquare handling of rhythm are baffling to me. The poignancy of the Finale is controlled, the phrasing almost cautious. But by then one realizes that this was Markevitch's style at the time, a far cry from some of his most famous recordings from the Fifties (like his blazing Berlioz Damnation of Faust).

Having said all this, Markevitch was a major talent, and anything he has to say about Tchaikovsky is worth hearing. I'd recommend this set at its bargain price and can only praise its cultivaiton and refinement.

Your best bet for these three works.......2005-09-26

It's hard to categorize Markevitch's style in these symphonies. He doesn't impose his own ideology or personality on the music. He is fast and furious in those passages where speed and furiousness are the most effective approach. He swoons when the music should swoon, and he plays delicately when delicacy is called for.

A previous reviewer recommended the Mravinsky recordings over this set. I disagree. Mravinsky attacks the music; Markevitch loves it. At every phrase of every movement, Markevitch seems to have immersed himself in the music. He obviously developed a deep understanding of what the composer was trying to communicate, and he is in complete emotional sympathy with every nuance. It's hard to listen to these without feeling that this is exactly what Tchaikovsky himself would have wanted to hear.

This isn't the very best orchestral sound I have ever heard on a recording, but it's certainly nothing to complain about, either.

To get three such superb performances of Tchaikovsky's most famous symphonies for the price of one CD is one of the great bargains in the classical catalog. Grab this!

Markevitch, y las otras tres sinfonias..........2004-12-01

Si el primer CD doble con las tres primeras sinfonias es memorable, este es muy bueno pero definitivamente perdio fuerza y sentimentalismo a la hora de interpretarlas, Markevitch logro con las tres primeras fuerza y sublimidad, ahora en este caso sigue la sublimidad pero falta de sentimientos y la fuerza esta baja en energia.
Son interprtetaciones geniales y sobre la mayoria de sus compañeros directores, pero en estas tres quedo bajo muchas otras versiones, la cuarta sinfonia es vigorosa, tiene un comienzo abrumador y sorprendente, por cierto escuchen a Ormandy o a Abbado (con la Wiener Philharmoniker) grandiosas, la quinta sinfonia es extraordinaria con valse incluida y un final que no acaba, para esta sinfonia Ormandy y Bernstein son geniales.
Para finalizar la extraordinaria, intimista y por cierto extrañamente apesumbrada "patetica", que inicia un movimiento lento para seguir fulgurante y apoteosica, que incluye algo asi como una marcha y termina tan suave y silenciosa como comenzo, es una sinfonia distinta y requiere una vision compleja e intima del autor. Markevitch logra el proposito y denota su buen enlace con su compatriota.
Es un Cd de coleccion porque son interpretaciones extraordinarias pero que pierden mucho frente a versiones inmejorables, Markevitch se esfuerza pero algo le falto.

Romantic Expression: Tchaikovsky's Best Symphonies.......2003-01-22

Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky, best known for his ballets, was also a symphonic composer. To those who are not familiar with Tchaikovsky's prolific, excellent taste of composition, this review should benefit you. He was indeed a masterful composer of symphonies. He was well educated in music, loved and appreciated Mozart and Beethoven and developed his own romantic style from humble beginnings. His 1, 2, and 3rd symphonies are less mature than his last three, but are quality works, scored with brilliant folk melody. The last three symphonies, 4, 5 and 6 are considered by many music lovers and fans of Romanticism, as the truest expression of romantic classical music. We must understand that Tchaikovsky was a composer who was a true romantic, who felt things deeply and whose life imitated his art. It was through his pain that Tchaikovsky gathered inspiration, composing and spinning out elaborate, elegant, romantic, inspirational music for the symphony. Tchaikovsky was a man whose homosexual lifestyle was shunned by Imperial Russia society. To avoid the detrimental ban of his music or perhaps his own exile, Tchaikovsky constantly projected an image of a sentimental, but heterosexual man (he was married for some time briefly before divorce) and his music was very popular in Russia and America. The last three symphonies are the perfect epitome of Romantic Era music, as well as a musical portrait of Tchaikovsky and his time. There are moments when the music becomes introspective and personal, tinged with deep sorrow at variance with exalted joy. It is the most human symphonies ever composed, at paar with the humanistic symphonies of Beethoven, especially in his Fifth and 9th.

In his fourth symphony, Tchaikovsky was deeply influenced by Beethoven's "Fate" theme. Many Romantic composers of the late 19th century came up with their own "fate" themes. Also, it could be debated that Tchaikovsky was thinking more in lines of Bizet's opera Carmen when he composed the Fate Theme for his 4th symphony. At the time, he had just become financially independent and well off enough to take his music on tour, even to America, thanks to the sponsorship of his patron, the Countess Nadezda Von Meck. He dedicated the symphony to her, and though the first movement can be clearly a descriptin of Fate and overwhelming oddds, darkness and fire, after all, it is scored "allegro con fuego". The second movement is a romantic, slow-paced piece that rises to a crescendo and then winds down to the whispering caress of its elegant restrained melody. The last movement is a celebration, clearly Tchaikovsky's gratitutde for the Countess' support is described. Raucous, it is filled with Russian folk tunes.

The Fifth is of an equally impressive scope. Melancholic in its first movement, it slowly rises into a waltz and then concludes with a triumph over fate, similar to Beethoven's Fifth symphony finale. The Sixth "Pathetique" is Tchaikovsky's final work. He wrote the symphony shortly before he died. It is a symphonic Requiem, although subtle in its intentions. The romantic themes dwindle and the last movement is a fatal blow and final breath of life. Tchaikovsky's music is deeply romantic, intensely emotional and perfect in orchestral color. Never before has a composer dedicated himself so wholesomely to his art. This cd is bargain price and at the hands of conductor Igor Markevitch and the London Symphony, it's the best interpretation of the symphonies.

Etheral heights, plain price.......2002-06-05

I agree with Hurwitz: Markevitch adds a Gallic, feline suavity to these three old goodies and plays them for us like they're new. A lot of the Cyrillic wailing that is inherent in Russian performances is blissfully absent, and every content point, every expression, every luminous point of orchestration is given to us with Markevitch's sophisticated sense of quality. It's all real, no paste here.

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE VERY BEST EVER!!!.......2007-03-21

Las sinfonias de Tchaikovsky se encuentran entre las paginas mas bellas jamas escritas en la historia de la musica, de alli su gran popularidad, y la buena cantidad y calidad de versiones que existen en el mercado. Stokowski, Mravinsky, Bernstein, Monteaux, Markevitch, Abbado, Gergiev, etc .... le han dedicado tiempo a estas obras y Karajan y la Filarmonica de Berlin, se dieron el lujo de grabar estas sinfonias en tres ocasiones diferentes, y para mi gusto este set, de los 60's es el mas preciso de los tres, refleja toda la intensidad, el drama y el lirismo que las sinfonias requieren. Este ciclo junto con el que hiciera el mitico Mravinsky para el mismo sello con la Filarmonica de Leningrado son de las mejores versiones de estas sinfonias jamas grabadas. Muy recomendable.

Which of Karajan's three late Tchaikovsky cycles to choose?.......2006-07-18

Like the reviewer below, I heartily welcome the return of Karajan's Tchaikovsky Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth from the mid-Sixties. But it's irksome to find that DG's remastering hasn't solved the thin, brittle, shrill sonics. The opening trumpet fanfare in the Fourth Sym. (1967) sent me scurrying to turn down the volume--cymbals and brass are ear-piercing except at moderate levels, and the big climaxes are marred by an annoying crunch.

I decided to do a sound check on the Fifth (1966) and Sixth (1964). They are little better, and I was shocked to hear lots of raspy trumpet attacks in both the Fourth and Fifth. Wihtout dwelling on this aspect, be prepared for less-than-ideal sound. It took DG's engineers three or four tries to get Karajan's 1963 Beethoven cycle to sound right; it may take that long here, too. The sonics are much improved in his two later sets on DG.

As for interpreatations, Karajan made no radical changes over the years. Direct comparisons would take days--Karajan recorded at least five Pathetiques and four of the other two symphonies. I'd say in general that he sounds fresh, alert, and direct in these Sixties recordings; there's no attempt to inflate the music or make it feel important. All the waltz movements are light and lilting. The finale of the Pathetique in every Karajan performance is light and melancholy rather than tragic. The overall timings tend to be quickish in the Sixties compared to his other accounts.

In general, you can skip this set if you have either of his DG versions from Berlin (late Seventies) and Vienna (live, late Eighties just before his death). The Vienna ones are infused with a touching autumnal quality that I cherish, but tempos have gotten a bit slack at times. The big misfire is an EMI cycle from the early Seventies, which is over-inflated and recorded in murky, congested sound.

One should also note that Karajan's style of Tchaikovsky conducting--straightforward and Germanic--feels unidiomatic beside the best Russians, particularly Mravinsky. Good as his performances could be, Karajan wasn't a supreme conductor of Tchaikovsky, a conclusion I've come to now that I own nearly every vesion he made.

4.5 stars!.......2005-01-18

I would have to rate Karjan's set fractionally below his DG remakes from the 70's - which were his finest statements on these symphonies. Sound quality issues isn't the problem. The 1964 Pathetique is quite warm and lush, compared to the slightly earlier 5th (which musically doesn't quite match his later accounts). The 1967 4th symphony is just simply wonderful. The bass is a little dry as compared to his 1977 recording, but it is a little cleaner too. It is extremely intense and moving, nontheless. Certainly among the finest 4ths around.
Stay away from Karajan's early 70's Tchaikovsky 4,5,& 6 versions on EMI. Sound is just not quite right and the playing seems sub-par. One can tell that his heart is just not into those versions.

Karajan's 1960s Tchaikovsky Finally!.......2004-01-11

Since the dawn of the Compact Disk in the early 1980s I have awaited the reissue of Herbert von Karajan's recordings of the Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4,5, and 6 from the 1960s. Those recordings certainly eclipse all of Karajan's other recordings of these works. The sound has a warmth and reality to it, especially when put alongside the very dry recordings from the late 70s. The readings of the fourth and sixth are very similar to other Karajan renditions. but the fifth stands out in this rendition. It sounds more deeply felt, less obtuse than his other recordings.
Walk a mile, or more, to get this one! Accept no substitutes!
Now if only Universal would do the same for HVKs 1960s Brahms recordings too!

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

Average customer rating:

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

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...

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6; Orchestral Works (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Is Abbado better or worse in Tchaikovsky than his reputation?

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6; Orchestral Works (Limited Edition)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; Overtures; Violin Concerto (Limited Edition)
Stravinsky: SYMPHONIES
Prokofiev: 7 Symphonies; Lieutenant Kijé
Dvorák: The String Quartets

ASIN: B00006OA67
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Tracks:

Symphony No 1 In G Minor
Symphony No 2 In C Minor
Symphony No 3 In D Major
Symphony No 4 In F Minor
Symphony No 5 In E Minor
Symphony No 6 In B Minor

Customer Reviews:

Is Abbado better or worse in Tchaikovsky than his reputation?.......2007-02-17

Claudio Abbado spent considerable time with the CSO in the 1980s but rarely returned (so far as I know) after he was appointed as Karajan's successor in Berlin. His complete Tchaikovsky cycle was a flagship enterprise for Sony, and yet the results divide listeners, some of whom categorically dismiss Abbado's interpretations as boring and fussy, lacking in Slavic passion. I had casually bought into that judgment but decided recently to listen to the whole cycle afresh, leading to the following, sometimes surprising conclusions:

Sym. #1: We start off on a high point. This work, subtitled 'Winter Dreams,' is the most immature of the symphonies, relying on much repetition in place of solid sonata development, and at times it's hard to distinguish why this is a symphony and not part of a ballet suite. However, the melodies are gorgeous, and a conductor with real conviction can make the music come across. Abbado spins out the balletic first movement with energy and verve--it makes the often recommended Tilson Thomas version from Boston (on DG) seem overly refined. The lyrical second movement evokes real tenderness, the Scherzo (another balletic movement) skips along lightly but could use more rhythmic emphasis, and the finale, after an Andante lugubre introduction that could be darker, sweeps convincingly into the grand allegro, which has lots of punch and vitality. In all, an excellent performance. After you count in the fine sonics and the gorgeous playing of the Chicago Sym., Abbado outshines all his Western competition, including Karajan, Mehta, and Bernstein in their complete sets.

Sym. #2: Outstandings recordings of the First Sym. are thin on the ground, but not of the 'Little Russian,' which boasts a classic from Giulini (EMI) and a committed reading from Bernstein (Sony). Abbado has a great advantage in outstanding solo parts played with style and commitment by the Chicagoans--you won't hear better from Karajan's Berliners. Rather than aiming for folk-style earthiness, Abbado takes the work to be grander, more symphonically European. In that vein the first movement is convincing and thrilling. But the march that follows is reticent and fussy. The performance is back in form with an energetic, propulsive Scherzo, a total success. The finale is imposingly grand at the outset, rich with brass sonorities, and although the main allegro section sounds a bit fussed over, it has requisite vigor and enthusiasm. In sum, another success, much better played and recorded than esteemed rivals like Dorati on Mercury and Markevitch on Philips.

Sym. #3: The "Polish" Sym. is the problem child, a score so drawn out and balletic (Balanchine based his full-length "Jewels" on it) that few conductors can hold it together symphonically. It doesn't help matters that so much of the music hovers around Andante instead of a vigorous Allegro, or that the harmonies are often ambiguous. Abbado takes the shadowy first movement as a processional, delicately nuanced in the phrasing but moving along. It works well, but the next movement "Alla Tedesca" sounds exactly the same; he hasn't found any contrast in tempo or mood. The third movement, which is yet another shadowy andante, sounds inward and melancholy. By now the wandering nature of the piece has won out; attention begins to wander, to. Abbado doesn't find enough earthiness in the mercurial Scherzo to salvage matters, so we might as well give in and enjoy this as ballet. Tchaikovsky wants the finale to be played "with fire," but Abbado remains at low temperature, smooth and flowing. I've been highly critical here, so let it be said that none of Abbado's Western rivals do any better. Call this attempt to interpret a sprawling ballet-symphony a middling success, with reservations.

Sym. #4: The last three symphonies are meat for every great conductor, needless to say, so Abbado had little chance of rising to the very summit. He competes with himself, in fact, given that his Decca recording of the Fourth with the Vienna Phil. ranks among his best recordings from the Seventies. A good or even very good reading won't do, and that's about all that Abbado gives us. The CSO brass suddenly begin to snarl a bit, a la Solti, and softer passages get fussed over. The first movement fails to cohere convincingly, and one wonders exactly where the interpretation is going. Is this just big-band international Tchaikovsky? On the whole, yes. The oboe solo in the Andante flows by without much individuality or expression, and you realize that this music doesn't mean much to anyone here. The Scherzo is virtuosic without being thrilling. The finale is heavy and not fast enough to raise one's blood, immediately turning tepid in the lyrical second subject. All in all, not an inspired reading. In fact, a definite miss unless you simply must hear the CSO run thorugh its paces.

Sym. #5: Although much loved, the Fifth suffers from repeating the same motive in the first and last movements, as well as repetitive development sections that hammer simple rhythmic patterns over and over. To really succeed, an interpretation must be intense, dramatic, and played with edge of the seat intensity (in a word, the way Mravinsky does it). Abbado starts out with a full, broad statement that isn't premonitory enough (it doesn't promise great things to come), but no one can doubt how detailed and beautiful the playing is. There's a lot to be said for avoiding banality in this music or hollow grandiosity. Add in the outstanding Chicago playing (thankfully less blaring in the brass), and the first movement turns into a real success. Likewise the Andante, which begins with ravishing cellos and a natural, unforced solo horn. Here Abbado moves things along rather quickly, perhaps too much so for the music to tell as expressively as it might. But again, no sentimentality allowed. The waltz Scherzo is weaker in its characterization, coming off as well played but faceless. Up to this point, I've been feeling that Abbado's reading deserves respet, which is confirmed by a sober but full-voiced finale, the place where sentimentality and false heroics lay real traps. In all, I like this Fifth and rate it higher than the Fourth. Those who prefer blood-and-thunder won't agree. This is a Fifth for those who usually avoid the work.

Sym. #6: It's as difficult to produce a truly memorable 'Pathetique' as it is to produce a truly memorable Beethoven Fifth, and yet neither work ever misfires under a good conductor. So the challenge is greatness, pure and simple. Abbado had looming over his head Reiner's acclaimed Sixth with the same CSO in Living Stereo on RCA, a classic. Let's note right off that the playing and recording here are up to Reiner's standards. Reiner was a cool customer, perhaps the greatest technicin of his day. Abbado is cool, too, but without the intensity of a master craftsman. His 'Pathetique' is too loose-limbed at the beginning; one soon realizes that as with the Fourth, he has no pressing thing to say in this music. One episode follows another beautifully, if at times cautiously (E.g., a tepid second subject in the opening movement that needs to soar). The succeeding movements don't change that impression, even though everyone concerned tries to thrill us in the Scherzo, and do. Tchaikovksy's last symphony rises and falls on its tragic finale--I want a wrenching catharsis--but Abbado has decided that pathos is the dominant feeling. He's not alone in that, so if you want less than catharsis, here is a well-played finale that I find unmemorable. In all, I'd place Abbado's Sixth a little higher than the Fourth but well shy of the Fifth.

Overall judgement: I was surprised, given its lackluster reputation, that this is often a spectacular set, full of exciting playing. Abbado has no riveting conception in the last three symphonies, and in fact rises to his best in the First and Second. For overall conviction, I'd buy the Temirkanov set on RCA, but Abbado is more convincing to me than Karajan, and better in the early works than Bernstein. Experienced collectors will already have multiple favorites among the individual suymphonies and won't want a complete set. For them, Abbado's "Winter Dreams" is the overlooked gem.

Classical Music For People Who Hate Classical Music

Average customer rating:

A Very Pleasurable Mix
Good for beginners.

Classical Music For People Who Hate Classical Music

Manufacturer: Proarte
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music
25 Classical Favorites

ASIN: B000000C3P
Release Date: 1993-02-01

Tracks:

Canon
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: Allegro
The Four Seasons: Largo - Allegro
Fanfare
Air On A 'G' String
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante: 'Elvira Madigan' Theme
Symphony No. 5: Opening
William Tell Overture: Conclusion
Aida: Triumphal March
The Blue Danube Waltz
Waltz Of The Flowers
1812 Overture - Conclusion

Customer Reviews:

A Very Pleasurable Mix.......2005-10-29

I still consider myself a rock music fan, but received this CD/album as a Christmas gift in 1995, and have listened to it in my car countless times. It contains a very nice assortment of familiar arrangements performed brillantly by various orchestras. Even if the title doesn't ring a bell, chances are you've heard these songs before and can connect with them. My wife's favorite is "Canon" (she's a diehard romantic) and I'm partial to "Fanfare" (Masterpiece Theater's old theme). Guaranteed to mellow you out while stuck in rush-hour traffic.

Good for beginners........1999-01-16

For those of us who think we would like classical music but have no idea where to start or what to buy, this is a good CD. I now have a small classical music library which gives me a great deal of pleasure, but this was one of my first selections. I still enjoy it. I recommend it to friends who are beginning to enjoy classical music and need a place to start.

Average customer rating:

A nice supplement for Mravinsky lovers
Better Than I Remember
Mravinksy's First Edition of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 5&6

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001GQG
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

Symphonie No. 4 In F Minor Op.36: 1. Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima - Moderato assai, quasi Andante - Allegro vivo
Symphonie No. 4 In F Minor Op.36: 2. Andantino in modo di canzone
Symphonie No. 4 In F Minor Op.36: 3. Scherzo. Pizzicato ostinato. Allegro
Symphonie No. 4 In F Minor Op.36: 4. Finale. Allegro con fuoco
Symphonie No 5 In E Minor Op.64: 1. Andante - Allegro con anima
Symphonie No 5 In E Minor Op.64: 2. Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza - Moderato con anima - Andante mosso - Allegro non troppo - Tempo I

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: 3. Valse. Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 5: 4. Finale. Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace - Molto vivace - Moderato assai e molto maestoso - Presto
Symphonie No.6 In B Minor Op.74: 1. Adagio - Allegro non troppo
Symphonie No.6 In B Minor Op.74: 2. Allegro con grazia
Symphonie No.6 In B Minor Op.74: 3. Allegro molto vivace
Symphonie No.6 In B Minor Op.74: 4. Finale. Adagio lamentoso

Amazon.com

Evgeni Mravinsky recorded stunning stereo versions of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies for Deutsche Grammophon, and those recordings remain the foundation of any Tchaikovsky record collection. These earlier mono versions have their admirers, and they are every bit as fine, but if you have the stereo recordings, there's no reason to opt for these unless you're a serious Mravinsky maven. On this set, Kurt Sanderling conducts the Fourth--a performance as different from Mravinsky's as it is possible to imagine, but equally legitimate in its Teutonic seriousness. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A nice supplement for Mravinsky lovers.......2006-11-14

Until the Eighties, when major reissues began to come out of Evgeny Mravinsky's recorded output, which was sizable, only a few recordings had drifted West, among them a legendary set of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies from 1960. As everyone else has pointed out, these are earlier versions in mono from 1956 of the Fifth and sixth, coupled with Sanderling's rather ordinary, Teutonic Fourth. DG's reissue certainly makes the mono sonics sound balanced and full, considerably easier on the ears, in fact, than the shrill stereo of the later readings.

However, Mravinsky seems a bit ordinary throughout. One misses the falvanic excitment and nervous tension that marked the stereo recordings. It's true that the finale of the Fifth, after a mild start, suddenly leaps and ahead with more vibrancy. but Mravinsky made a specialty of this work, and his several other recordings strike me as more successful. As for the Pathetique, he has several of those, too. This version lacks inner tension in the opening movement. You feel the conductor's concentration in the Scherzo, however, even if it lacks a degree of frenzy to tighten one's nerves. The finale moves along a course that's more melancholy than tragic, but that may be closer to the composer's intentions for all we know. In any event, this is a nice supplement to Mravinsky's stereo set, and far from negligible, but I'd only buy it at a bargain price given Sanderling's colorless contribution.

Better Than I Remember.......2000-12-31

My introduction to Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic was a Vanguard 2-lp set of the Shostakovich 7th Symphony. I was in high school then, around 1961. I also read a review of the Mravinsky/Tschaikovsky 5th that favored the earlier U.S. Decca version. Since I already had a stereo 5th (von Matacic/Czech Philharmonic on the budget Parliament label)I grabbed the Decca when it showed up at a reduced price in a store's cut-out bin.

I really loved that recording -- especially for the pace and force of the 4th movement. Some years later I bought the DG stereo remake, which struck me as a more polished recording overall, but less exciting. For example, I missed the running counterpoint beneath the 4th movts. 2nd subject: it begins in the winds, then the subject is repeated -- enlarged -- by the violins, with horns and basses running beneath. The physical sense of foreward motion is remarkably intense.

Now all this and more is again available in even better, cleaner sound than was offered on the old Deccas.

Originally, the Fifth was also available in a Decca boxed set that included the Fourth and Sixth Symphonies and the Rachmaninoff Second Symphony, which, like the Tschaikovsky Fourth, was conducted by Kurt Sanderling. The Rachmaninoff was the only uncut version available at that time; it has been released on CD as DG 289449 767-2. Sanderling has recorded some fine Sibelius and Shostakovich recently. In the late 1930s he chose to flee the Nazis by going east and found a haven in Soviet Russia. After the war he continued to pursue his career in eastern Europe.

Clearly, this set is not for everyone -- is there ANY recording for everyone? I have yet to find a stereo Pathetique to match either Mravinsky in this set or the 1938 Furtwaengler/Berlin Philharmonic recording -- the only recordings I own, aside from a number of tapes made from radio and television broadcasts.

Mravinksy's First Edition of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 5&6.......2000-06-19

I think most readers will be interested to know how this DG Originals set from 1956 compares with Mravinsky's stereo remake from 1960; accordingly, I will limit this review to the Fifth and "Pathetique" Symphonies.

I first read about these performances in 1961, when they were still available on American Decca. Ironically, they were mentioned in rather unfavorable reviews of the stereo versions which had been just released. Most reviewers found the earlier mono versions more committed and passionate in interpretation and did not find the sonics of the latter versions a significant improvement over the earlier ones. Comparing the timings of the two editions, the earlier ones are marginally slower, the exception being the March-Scherzo of the Pathetique, which is much slower in the earlier recording. Upon listening, I found the earlier recordings to be indeed more relaxed, lusher, and more smoothly (or perhaps blandly) phrased than the latter edition. In part, this may be due to the more distant and euphonous sound of the mono recordings. Coming then to the latter versions was a shock; here was strong, pointed phrasing, sheer elemental force (NOT mere briskness) that made the 5th sound like a truly heroic and noble work, and the "Pathetique" as a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of a Manic-Depressive Episode.

I'm afraid this Beethovenish strength is lacking in the earlier version, in which Tchaikovsky sounds merely like a spinner of pretty, sweet tunes; in the latter version, he sounds like a master builder and dramatist.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Midnight Ride

Rossini: Symphonies for Wind Instruments

Retrospective

Jazz in Britain: 1919-1950 [Box set]

Take Your Flunky and Dangle

The Deele - Greatest Hits [Import]

The Gospel According To Andy

Petite Messe Solennelle 1863

Prisionero de Tus Brazos

That's Squintertainment Sampler

Lady in Red