Tchaikovsky's symphonies

[josh]

His chamber work seems to be much more widely discussed on this forum than his symphonies. I'm hopefully about to change that.

For best versions of his symphonies and orchestral works:

Complete cycle - Jansons + Oslo Phil.

Don't have any suggestions for 1-3. Anyone?

#4 - Mravinsky + Leningrad Phil.

#5 - Dorati + LSO / Mravinsky + Leningrad Phil.

#6 - Pletnev + RNO / Mravinsky + Len.Phil.

Romeo & Juliet - Dorati + LSO / Edwards + Royal Liverpool Phil.

Francesca da Rimini - Stokowski + NY Stadium Phil.

1812 Overture - Edwards + Royal Liverpool Phil.

 

[JANDL100]

I must admit I am probably alone in the world in not being a fan of the Jansons / Oslo cycle on Chandos, I find it technically brilliant but de-Russkified to the point of anonymity.

For me there's a yawning chasm of interpretive capability between Jansons and Mravinsky in 4-6, or HvK in the whole cycle.

Karajan in the 60s & 70s was great at Tchaikovsky - you can't really go wrong with him, although the sq is a bit dated in some of them. Here's the full set with extras for very little ££. Or available on Tidal. Hmmm, my fave 5th and 6th is Karajan from mid 1970s, not the earlier ones in that set, and the sq is superb.

I really like Svetlanov's cycle on DVD Video from the 1980s with a pukka Soviet orchestra - oh, those brass! Difficult to find, though.

Loads of others, many that I haven't heard, of course.

All just imo - ymmv.

 

[musicbox]

Igor Markevitch & Philharmonia on Philips.

Mravinsky/Leningrad is terribly over-rated.

 

[JANDL100]

Igor Markevitch & Philharmonia on Philips.

I couldn't find that on TIDAL - eventually discovered that's cos it's with the LSO ;-)

-- listening now to #1 -- it is very good.

I prefer Svetlanov on Melodiya, though - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Symphonies-Svetlanov-Academic-Melodiya/dp/B00M3ECKFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1435478887&sr=1-1&keywords=tchaikovsky+svetlanov

- a lot more excitement, clearer recording, too, if just a bit feisty at the top end and light (but well defined) in the bass in the Soviet manner.

Tilson Thomas / Boston SO / DG is very good in #1, too. Excitement much nearer Svetlanov than Markevitch (which suits me), and better recording than either. He's done a much more recent SACD recording of #5 with the San Francisco SO; hmm, he seems to have become rather less volatile over the years, it plods a bit. I rate 70s Karajan much more highly in #5.

Gawd, Gergiev mauls #5 around. :doh:

So many Tchaik recordings, so little time.

 

[DeCameron]

Temirkanov's RCA, Red Seal set with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. More refined than some of the older Russian recordings but still magical.

I could never get on with Pletnev's versions.

 

[Klassik]

Igor Markevitch & Philharmonia on Philips.

Mravinsky/Leningrad is terribly over-rated.

-- listening now to #1 -- it is very good.

I prefer Svetlanov on Melodiya, though - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Symphonies-Svetlanov-Academic-Melodiya/dp/B00M3ECKFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1435478887&sr=1-1&keywords=tchaikovsky+svetlanov

- a lot more excitement, clearer recording, too, if just a bit feisty at the top end and light (but well defined) in the bass in the Soviet manner.

El Klassiko has the Markevitch Philips CD set with Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 1-3 on them. They are enjoyable performances, but the sound quality of them can be best described as 'dated'. Granted, old isn't always bad and El Klassiko also owns a CD with much better sound quality, IKO, that has Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 on it performed by Evgeny Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony Orchestra. It's an MCA Classics release from the late 1980s, but MFSL was involved with this release under their cultural exchange series of Melodiya AAD recordings. As such, the sound quality is excellent for an older Soviet analog recording and the performance is great as well.

What Klassik knows not is if the MCA Classics/MFSL recording is the same as the one in @JANDL100 's link. That implies the recording is from the 1960s, but the documentation for the MFSL recording implies the recording was made in the 1970s. They do sound similar though so they could be the same recordings. With that in mind, Klassik does wonder if that newer set in the link also has MFSL masterings or if they were mastered by someone else later on.

Someone has posted a recording of the MCA Classics/MFSL recording online, but it's a digitized recording from the cassette version.