BaL 18.01.25 - Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy overture)

[seabright]

It's always interesting to read the comments here whenever a new BAL is announced because it becomes quite clear that anyone interested in the work being discussed already has at least one recording of it and probably more than one. So my question is: does everyone who already has "R & J" in their collection immediately order the reviewer's top choice, or do they remain happy with what they've already got? ... In other words, does BAL serve its purpose and do record collectors always buy whatever's recommended? ... If not, what's the point of BAL? ... I'd much prefer to go back to something we used to have, namely "Interpretations on Record" as that used to cover a much wider field than BAL usually does. And for what it's worth, my own record shelf of "R & J" recordings includes Munch / Boston SO; Bernstein / NYPO; Stokowski / Suisse Romande; Rodzinski / RPO and Gerhardt / RCA Victor SO. They are quite enough for one "library" so I shan't need another, top choice or not!

[richardfinegold]

Well it’s always nice to read a thread about warhorses. One learns a great deal. I never knew that Boult recorded so much Tchaikovsky, for example

[Pulcinella]

Marina's recommended version:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7934304--tchaikovsky-symphony-no-4

Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer

• Release Date: 6th Dec 2004
• Catalogue No: CCSSA21704
• Label: Channel
• Length: 61 minutes

Looks like download only though.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Marina's recommended version:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7934304--tchaikovsky-symphony-no-4

Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer

• Release Date: 6th Dec 2004
• Catalogue No: CCSSA21704
• Label: Channel
• Length: 61 minutes

Looks like download only though.

As it’s such a short work isn’t the decision to buy going to turn on how good the performance of the symphony is ?

[Pulcinella]

As it’s such a short work isn’t the decision to buy going to turn on how good the performance of the symphony is ?

Darloboy will probably be able to tell us, but the Presto site flags the recording as a BaL winner in January 2017, so I assume that that was for the symphony.

[seabright]

I find I have the Boult "R & J" after all! ... John Hunt's "Musical Knights" (published 1995) lists the discographies of Wood, Beecham, Boult, Barbirolli, Goodall and Sargent.

The Boult listings are: Symphony No. 3 (1956, LPO, Decca); Symphony No. 5 (1959, LPO, Pye); Symphony No. 6 (1959, LPO, Pye); Piano Concerto No. 1 (1955, LPO, Badura-Skoda, Nixa); ditto (1967, LPO, Cherkassky, WRC); Concert Fantasia (1958, LPO, Katin, Decca); Violin Concerto (1954, LPO, Elman, Decca); ditto (LPO, Bress, WRC); Suite No. 3 (1955, Paris Conservatoire, Decca); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Capriccio Italien (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1959, LPO, Perfect (USA).); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); 1812 Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); Nutcracker Suite (1923, British SO, Edison Bell); ditto (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); ditto (1967, RPO, EMI); Sleeping Beauty Suite (1967, RPO, EMI); Swan Lake Suite (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); Eugene Onegin Polonaise (1937, BBCSO, HMV); Mazeppa Gopak (1974, LPO, EMI); Hamlet Fantasy Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1959, LPO, Pye); Marche Slave (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Romeo and Juliet (1959, LPO, Somerset Fidelity); ditto (1966, LPO, WRC & EMI); Serenade for Strings (1937, BBCSO, HMV).

Hunt lists several "unpublished" studio recordings but hopefully the above list is complete as to published ones in 1995. Boult died in 1983 but If there have been any recordings of his broadcasts since then, which include anything by Tchaikovsky, that will have to be an Addenda!

[Wolfram]

Darloboy will probably be able to tell us, but the Presto site flags the recording as a BaL winner in January 2017, so I assume that that was for the symphony.

It was Rob Cowan’s choice for the 4th symphony.

[Pulcinella]

It was Rob Cowan’s choice for the 4th symphony.

[pastoralguy]

I find I have the Boult "R & J" after all! ... John Hunt's "Musical Knights" (published 1995) lists the discographies of Wood, Beecham, Boult, Barbirolli, Goodall and Sargent.

The Boult listings are: Symphony No. 3 (1956, LPO, Decca); Symphony No. 5 (1959, LPO, Pye); Symphony No. 6 (1959, LPO, Pye); Piano Concerto No. 1 (1955, LPO, Badura-Skoda, Nixa); ditto (1967, LPO, Cherkassky, WRC); Concert Fantasia (1958, LPO, Katin, Decca); Violin Concerto (1954, LPO, Elman, Decca); ditto (LPO, Bress, WRC); Suite No. 3 (1955, Paris Conservatoire, Decca); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Capriccio Italien (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1959, LPO, Perfect (USA).); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); 1812 Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); Nutcracker Suite (1923, British SO, Edison Bell); ditto (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); ditto (1967, RPO, EMI); Sleeping Beauty Suite (1967, RPO, EMI); Swan Lake Suite (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); Eugene Onegin Polonaise (1937, BBCSO, HMV); Mazeppa Gopak (1974, LPO, EMI); Hamlet Fantasy Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1959, LPO, Pye); Marche Slave (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Romeo and Juliet (1959, LPO, Somerset Fidelity); ditto (1966, LPO, WRC & EMI); Serenade for Strings (1937, BBCSO, HMV).

Hunt lists several "unpublished" studio recordings but hopefully the above list is complete as to published ones in 1995. Boult died in 1983 but If there have been any recordings of his broadcasts since then, which include anything by Tchaikovsky, that will have to be an Addenda!

Thank you for sharing.

[HighlandDougie]

Thank you for sharing.

Many thanks for this

[Retune]

Boston/Abbado was Michael Kennedy's First Choice back in December 1981.

I really liked the Chicago/Abbado version shortlisted today. There's a set of his CSO Tchaikovsky recordings that can be picked up pretty cheaply, though the symphonies seem to have rather mixed reviews.

[cloughie]

I find I have the Boult "R & J" after all! ... John Hunt's "Musical Knights" (published 1995) lists the discographies of Wood, Beecham, Boult, Barbirolli, Goodall and Sargent.

The Boult listings are: Symphony No. 3 (1956, LPO, Decca); Symphony No. 5 (1959, LPO, Pye); Symphony No. 6 (1959, LPO, Pye); Piano Concerto No. 1 (1955, LPO, Badura-Skoda, Nixa); ditto (1967, LPO, Cherkassky, WRC); Concert Fantasia (1958, LPO, Katin, Decca); Violin Concerto (1954, LPO, Elman, Decca); ditto (LPO, Bress, WRC); Suite No. 3 (1955, Paris Conservatoire, Decca); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Capriccio Italien (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1959, LPO, Perfect (USA).); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); 1812 Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); Nutcracker Suite (1923, British SO, Edison Bell); ditto (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); ditto (1967, RPO, EMI); Sleeping Beauty Suite (1967, RPO, EMI); Swan Lake Suite (1960, New SO, Readers Digest); Eugene Onegin Polonaise (1937, BBCSO, HMV); Mazeppa Gopak (1974, LPO, EMI); Hamlet Fantasy Overture (1952, LPO, Decca); ditto (1959, LPO, Pye); Marche Slave (1940, BBCSO, HMV); ditto (1967, LPO, WRC); ditto (1974, LPO, EMI); Romeo and Juliet (1959, LPO, Somerset Fidelity); ditto (1966, LPO, WRC & EMI); Serenade for Strings (1937, BBCSO, HMV).

Hunt lists several "unpublished" studio recordings but hopefully the above list is complete as to published ones in 1995. Boult died in 1983 but If there have been any recordings of his broadcasts since then, which include anything by Tchaikovsky, that will have to be an Addenda!

Syms 5 & 6 were on Golden Guinea but have never been issued on CD - not heard them but would be good to hear how he handled them!

[seabright]

Boult ... Symphonies 5 & 6 ... They're both on YouTube but the copyright date of 1959 means they could be reissued by any company which cares to do so.

Here is No. 5 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drveOrnnWU

And here is No. 6 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfjCNRdp94Y&t=35s

I must ask around and see if they have come out on some surreptitious label.. Check the comments under the "Pathetique" video!

[makropulos]

Boult ... Symphonies 5 & 6 ... They're both on YouTube but the copyright date of 1959 means they could be reissued by any company which cares to do so.

Here is No. 5 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drveOrnnWU

And here is No. 6 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfjCNRdp94Y&t=35s

I must ask around and see if they have come out on some surreptitious label.. Check the comments under the "Pathetique" video!

They have both been reissued on CRQ Editions, CD02 (No. 6) and CD12 (No. 5). There were originally recorded for Miller International, but released in the UK on Golden Guinea.
Boult's pre-war Tchaikovsky is well worth hearing, particularly the Serenade for Strings with the BBCSO. It used to be on a Beulah CD and is probably still around second hand.

[Barbirollians]

The extracts of the winning Ivan Fischer didn’t do much for me . Liked Bychkov and Bernstein though - a lot.