TCHAIKOVSKY, Peter (1840-1893)
Concerto No.1 in bb for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 23
Weissenberg, Karajan, Berlin Phil. + Sym.6 (LD) DG 072241
Argerich, Dutoit, Royal Phil. + Vln. DG 431609
Browning, Ozawa, London Sym. + Vln. RCA 60491
Richter, Karajan, Vienna Sym. + Rach:Con.2 DG 447420
Three very good and one excellent recording: Richter's
Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 35
Heifetz, Reiner, Chicago Sym. + Mendelssohn V.C. RCA 5933
Milstein, Abbado, Vienna Phil. + Mendelssohn V.C. DG 419067
These recordings show two giants of the violin and also
explain why Heifetz was the violinist of the century, not only by
his extraordinary technique but also by his musical personality. In
this recording he trimmed the rough edges in the cadenza, and also
some repeats in the third movement that disturb the flow. The
recording made in 1957 by producer Richard Mohr and engineer Lewis
Layton in the old Orchestra Hall, captured with rich and spacious
sound this eternal performance.
Milstein, the other giant alive in the stereo age, gave us
his definitive performance of this work in 1973, making the same
strategic cuts in the finale but leaving the cadenza untouched.
Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32
Haitink, Concertgebouw + Marche + 1812 Philips 422469
Maazel, Philharmonia + Strauss:Death (LP) London SPC 21067
Masur, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. + Sym.1 Teldec 44939
This work demands first rank playing and engineering as
showed in these three recordings. It is a pity that Maazel's was
never released on CD.
Manfred (Symphony) in b, Op. 58
Jansons, Oslo Phil. Chandos 8535
Lenard, CSR Sym. (Bratislava) + Voyevode Naxos 50224
Maazel, Vienna Phil. (LP) Decca SXL 6562
Manfred contains some of Tchaikovsky's most vehement music,
but its somber mood and its length results in being seldom played.
Jansons closed his splendid set, brilliantly recorded by
Chandos, with this Symphony.
Maazel's recording of 1972 remains a very good choice but
is not available on CD yet.
Lenard's is the bargain price recommendation.
Marche slave, Op. 31
Haitink, Concertgebouw + Francesca + 1812 Philips 422469
Munih, Ljubljana Sym. + other pieces Stradivari SCD 6057
This work is only small in size and my list is so short
because most recordings I heard were not up to my demands. Munih's
is a digital recording and is also the cheapest but Haitink's,
despite its tape noise, is the best.
Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Ballet)
Dorati, Concertgebouw + Sleeping Exc. Philips DUO 442562
Dorati, London Sym. + Ser.Op.48 2 CDs Mercury 432750
There are other recordings but none in the Concertgebouw
with its rich sonorities and none with the energy of Dorati. The
Philips DUO is also the cheapest because has the price of one CD.
Mercury has razor sharp stereo definition but the price is
outrageous and its box is large enough to accommodate Parsifal.
It is a bad idea to buy excerpts of this work because you
will be loosing too much beautiful music.
Overture 1812, Op. 49
Colin Davis, Boston Sym. + Romeo Philips 411448
After hearing this recording I never found another to match
its artistic and technical qualities. Colin Davis added chorus and
also an organ part to the orchestral score of this work, and the
result is overwhelming.
Romeo and Juliet (1870 rev.1880)
Bernstein, New York Phil. + Sym.5 DG 429234
Colin Davis, Boston Sym. + 1812 Philips 411448
Solti, Chicago Sym. + Swan + Nut. Decca or London 430707
Even Tchaikovsky detractors were forced to admit that this
is one of the greatest and most perfect works.
The Decca digital recording is of demonstration quality,
with more detail than Philips and more presence than DG, but the
other two are very close.
Sleeping Beauty, Op.66 (Ballet)
Dorati, Concertgebouw Philips DUO 446166
Rostropovich, Berlin Phil. (Op.66a) + Swan + Nut. DG 429097
Another DUO bargain by Philips and successful performance
by Dorati and the Dutch Orchestra.
For this work, I do recommend excerpts, because Tchaikovsky
composed a concert version for the Introduction that is linked to
the Lilac Fairy dance to great effect, and this is not available in
the ballet score, where they are apart.
Swan Lake, Op. 20 (Ballet)
Abravanel, Utah Sym. 2 CDs Vanguard VC 5008/9
Rostropovich, Berlin Phil. (Exc.) + Op.66a + Nut. DG 429097
Simonov, Royal Phil. (Exc.) + Nut. Exc. Tring TRP006
Solti, Chicago Sym. (Exc.) + Romeo Decca or London 430707
Unfortunately Dorati did not recorded the Swan Lake, but
Abravanel did a very good one in 1967 that remains my favorite. I
do recommend excerpts again, this time because some numbers are
best fitted to stage than to concert hall.
Symphony No.1 in g, Op. 13 "Winter Dreams"
Jansons, Oslo Phil. Chandos 8402
Masur, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. + Francesca Teldec 44939
Marriner, ASMF + Sym.2 Capriccio 10355
This work was unfairly neglected for many years but now,
due to forerunner recordings by Dorati, Maazel and Markevitch, has
ensured its presence in the symphonic repertory.
My list includes the state of the art digital recordings,
and starts with Jansons' who made the best Tchaikovsky cycle ever
recorded, from artistic and technical viewpoints.
Symphony No.4 in f, Op. 36
Karajan, Berlin Phil. + Sym.5 (LD) DG 072240
Solti, Bavarian Radio + Prok.:Romeo (LD) Pioneer PC 90-344
Dorati, London Sym. + Op.32 + Bor.:Igor Ovt. Mercury 434373
Jansons, Oslo Phil. Chandos 8361
The Fate Symphony has suffered in the hands of careless
producers and engineers. Karajan's on DG 139017 was released with a
missing bar in the middle of first movement; Maazel's on Telarc
10047, in addition to poor sound, includes a cymbals crash in the
first movement, probably borrowed from the same tutti in the finale
by an stupid editor, as he never did that with Berlin, Vienna or
the same orchestra latter for CBS; Solti's on Decca 430745 is
spoiled, again in the first movement, by an annoying resonance from
the timpani that was not detected by the recording team; Karajan's
on Angel 36884 is spoiled by a brutal distortion in the loud
passages. All that did cost me hours of frustration and a lot of
money.
Dorati was the first to succeed in a stereo recording of
this work but was unavailable for many years due to Mercury
distribution problems. Now in CD format it is only second to
Jansons' because of Chandos superb sound.
Symphony No.5 in e, Op. 64
Karajan, Berlin Phil. + Sym.4 (LD) DG 072240
Bernstein, New York Phil. + Romeo DG 429234
Jansons, Oslo Phil. Chandos 8351
Ozawa, Boston Sym. + Romeo DG 431603
I seldom hear this work nowadays, and Bernstein's CD is the
most frequent because of his excellent Romeo.
Symphony No.6 in b, Op. 74 "Pathetique"
Karajan, Berlin Phil. + Con.1 (LD) DG 072241
Haitink, Concertgebouw Orch. (LP) Philips 9500610
Jansons, Oslo Phil. Chandos 8446
Reiner, Chicago Sym. + other Russian RCA 5602
Jansons' performance is nothing short of amazing and
Chandos sound is a joy. Reiner's 1958 recording is a marvel that I
hear as often as Jansons'. Haitink's is among the best but is only
available as part of a complete set that I don't recommend.
The video shows Karajan at his zenith with bright,
colorful, well chosen images and good sound.
For the gallery of engineering crimes there is the Philips
digital recording of Bychkov conducting The Concertgebouw Orchestra
that was released single and latter coupled with Nutcracker
excerpts as 434150. I don't have the original number because after
some attempts to balance its sound in my equipment I decided to
brake the CD. It is the most stupid microphone placement that I
ever heard - very close to brass and far from strings - saturating
everything and destroying an otherwise good performance.
© Copyright 1998 Amilcar Schiappe Pereira End of section T