Your favourite Tchaikovsky symphony recordings ?

[amateur51]

Ferenc Fricsay's November 1960 recording of No 6 (with the Bavarian RSO) is, notwithstanding a bar or two missing at the beginning of the symphony, an intensely moving performance which no other recording or live performance I've heard, not even Furtwängler's, matches, in my unhumble opinion. The coupling - Annie Fischer in the 3rd Bartok Concerto - is pretty special as well.

I've always meant to get this CD, Dougie - many thanks for the recommendation!

Onto my Santa list it goes

[Petrushka]

No-one has mentioned Vladimir Ashkenazy's Philharmonia Pathetique yet. A great favourite of mine since I bought the LP in 1982. Muti's and Previn's Manfred are also firm favourites. For a truly frightening Pathetique I'd recommend a live Mravinsky account from 1982 which has the most terrifying first movement climax I've ever heard.

I'd second the recommendation of Szell's 5th and everybody should hear Bernstein's hour long DG version of the 6th at least once.

Coincidentally, just bought Abbado's Chicago set on Sony Classics but haven't heard any of it yet.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No-one has mentioned Vladimir Ashkenazy's Philharmonia Pathetique yet.

I also bought this on LP, as it was highly rated in Gramophone - deservedly so as it turned out. However, there's a nasty mistake by the brass in the finale that I found I couldn't live with, so I never bothered with the CD version.

[BBMmk2]

One of my favourite Tchaikovsky sympony recordings is the Andrew Litton cycle. This conductor just does it for me, with everything he touches.

[BeethovensQuill]

Just wanted to put in a word for the Nelsons and the CBSO 5th and 6th on Orfeo, the 5th is a great recording which delves deeply into every bar of the music, the 6th doesnt quite match their recording of the 5th but is still worth a listen, also superb performances of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.

[Nachtigall]

I grew up with Cantelli's Pathétique, originally on an HMV LP, now available on Testament, so have a special affection for that. Otherwise, yes, the Mravinsky set of Symphonies 4-6 on DG; also the Jansons/Chandos complete set of the symphonies. For Manfred I'd go for Muti, Jurowsky and Petrenko. Some enjoyment of old-fashioned Russian sound to be derived from the Rozhdestvensky set with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra.

[BBMmk2]

Ah, yes the Petrenko 'Manfred'.I have that. He has done some truly marvellous recordings

[Bryn]

Still waiting for my ideal Tchaikovsky recording: the Pathétique with the Berlin Phil conducted by Pierre Boulez. I think I might have a long wait for that though.

[Tony Halstead]

Ah, yes the Petrenko 'Manfred'.I have that

Hmmmm... doesn't it bother you that the oboe solos are so 'spotlit/ highlighted' by the recording engineer(s)
that it sometimes sounds like a saxophone?

[Ventilhorn]

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[gradus]

Equal votes here for Mravinsky and Silvestri in 4,5,6, Beecham in 4 and Barbirolli in the Pathetique.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Still waiting for my ideal Tchaikovsky recording: the Pathétique with the Berlin Phil conducted by Pierre Boulez. I think I might have a long wait for that though.

If PB could climb down off his pedestal, I think he would be rather good Tchaikovsky conductor.

[Mr Pee]

Still waiting for my ideal Tchaikovsky recording: the Pathétique with the Berlin Phil conducted by Pierre Boulez. I think I might have a long wait for that though.

Why would that be your ideal? I just can't imagine Boulez conducting Tchaikovsky. Well, I can, but the end result would I fear be very beautiful, with every detail of the score perfectly balanced, but seriously lacking in the passion and emotion that is so critical to a great performance.

[StephenO]

Jansons gives fine performances of all six symphonies, plus the Manfred, with the Oslo Philharmonic on Chandos. The added bonus is that, as well as the excellent performances and recording quality, each symphony is on a single disc so no side breaks.

Top recommendation, though, would have to be Mravinsky. No-one else can approach him for sheer excitement.

[Bryn]

Why would that be your ideal? I just can't imagine Boulez conducting Tchaikovsky. Well, I can, but the end result would I fear be very beautiful, with every detail of the score perfectly balanced, but seriously lacking in the passion and emotion that is so critical to a great performance.

Irony really is foreign territory to some here, it would appear. That said, PB conducts a mean Chant du rossignol and a passable Sacre du printemps (though with anticipation of some tempo markings), and I reckon that if he ever recanted his extreme antipathy to Stravinsky's hero, Tchaikovsky, he might turn out to be a very fine Pathétique conductor.