Tchaikovsky Serenade for strings - modern recording wanted

[Barbirollians]

I heard the ECO play this last saturday at the City Hall and I was not particularly looking forward to it especially as in the second half of a concert that had started well with Haydn Symphony No 49 and Mozart's sublime K364 the serenade was preceded by the ubiquitous Barber Adagio .

It was rather a revelation . I had always thought it a piece where the waltz so outshone the rest perhaps due to my only recording having been a rather hard digital recording of the Muti on EMI on cassette .

The ECO led by Stephanie Gonley played the piece for all it was worth exposing the utter brilliance of the writing ( very hard on Barber) and turning in a terrific account .

Now I am looking for a new recording - any suggestions ? The LSO/Barbirolli on an old Phoenixa CD is already in the post to me

[LeMartinPecheur]

After the Barbirolli why look elsewhere?

[Barbirollians]

You are probably right but 1964 doesn't quite count as modern !

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I remember the performance of this being delicious - but don't have a copy (yet - under a fiver "Used" with P&P?) to comment on the recorded sound quality:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dvor%C3%A1k-Serenade-Strings-Anton%C3%ADn/dp/B000001G4G

[visualnickmos]

Depends on what exactly you mean by "modern"....
Do you have a date/year limit, as to what you would consider?

[umslopogaas]

I have, on LP, Marriner and the Academy of St. Martins (ZRG 848) from 1976 and Leppard and the ECO on Philips (9500 105) also from 1976. Perhaps too old to count as modern (assuming they have been transferred to CD) but I would be very happy with either.

[Alison]

Didn't someone post very enthusiastically on a new LSO Live release of said work?

might add this to my Christmas list!

[richardfinegold]

Mine are all late 50s to mid 60s all in stereo and sound great:
Munch/Boston
Ormandy/Philadelphia

[pastoralguy]

This work is a great favourite of mine and I've been lucky enough to play it a couple of time with goood string sections. For me, the only version I love is Karajan's from the 1960's with the mighty strings of the Berlin Philharmonic. There are a couple of moments in the first movement where even these players are challenged by Karajan's tempo and it JUST stays on the side of playability.

I've heard many recordings of this wonderful piece and, for me, none of them come close to that fantastic performance.

[seabright]

Like umslopogaas, I have the Marriner version but as much for the "Souvenir de Florence" coupling as for the Serenade. In its full string orchestra form, the "Souvenir" deserves a much wider popularity, as it is full of gorgeous tunes. I also have the Philippe Entremont / Vienna Chamber Orchestra CD on Naxos for the same reason ... ie: it's the same coupling.

Otherwise I have the Serenade in an all-Tchaikovsky compendium conducted by Benjamin Britten, a great Tchaikovsky admirer, that also includes the "Mozartiana" Suite as well as Rostropovich playing a "Nocturne" for Cello and Orchestra, and Peter Pears singing "Christ in his Garden" (a BBC Music CD). Another all-Tchaikovsky CD on 'ASV' features the Serenade, "Mozartiana," Stravinsky's orchestration of two "Sleeping Beauty" numbers and the "Andante Cantabile" in an arrangement by the conductor, Jose Serebrier, who directs the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. None of these are "modern" but they are quite sufficient for me, as the performances and sonics are first-rate throughout and the various couplings make all of them particularly attractive!

[cloughie]

Very interesting that no real modern version that cuts the mustard seems to be suggested. I still go back to the Solti/IPO which not too long ago appeared on Eloquence together with other Russian stuff like the BPO Mussorgky and Borodin and the wonderfully French accented PCO Tchaik 5. Now there's a marmite factor choice for you!

[Barbirollians]

The LSO/Barbirolli is indeed very good - HVK now in post .

[visualnickmos]

The LSO/Barbirolli is indeed very good - HVK now in post .

Yes - Excellent. and which HvK? He made two -both DG: 1967 and 1981

Solti's recording is one I hanker after; waiting for a 'bargain bucket' price one to pop up!

[gurnemanz]

Among some CDs I inherited when my father died few years ago was the Juri Bashmet version with Moscow Soloists from 1989. It's very good indeed.

[vibratoforever]

I like the Barbirolli recording but my favourite is Svetlanov's 1992 recording on his Warner Tchaikovsky 2 cd orchestral collection, currently available on Amazon for around £8. Very good sound and playing and typical Svetlanov excitement.