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

[makropulos]

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

Muti was the one which surprised me (in a good way) – I'd forgotten how exciting it is.

[Pulcinella]

Anyone remember why the Bournemouth/Litton version (the one I have) got dropped despite at one point being praised?

[cloughie]

Thanks very much Seabright and Makropoulos. I will explore further.

[Wolfram]

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

I agree totally with Barbirollians. I couldn’t understand her final choice, especially as she said at the start of her final round up that she thought the Bernstein was the best interpretation. Well, if it’s the best interpretation and the sound is passable, which it is - I listened on Qobuz last night - then why is it not the top choice? If you must have the best modern sound then the Bychkov was very impressive. But the Fischer for me, excellently played as it is, is just not special enough. I have the Fischer recording, bought for the BaL winning 4th symphony, and I have played it twice now, once prior to the programme and then again afterwards, and each time I found it underwhelming.

Incidently, in the symphony Fischer introduces a mannerism in the opening brass fanfare, which I find irritating, and it spoils the performance as a whole. Rob Cowan did comment on it when he did the BaL back in 2017, but still went on to recommend it as his top choice.

[Barbirollians]

Good point . I know makropoulos has made it clear there is no direct pressure to choose a modern version but I felt that it was present even if indirectly yesterday - AMcG hurried MFW away from the 1944 Stokowski and if the Bernstein is the best interpretation and in passable stereo then surely it should have been the winner ?

Sony’s Bernstein conducts Tchaikovsky box is still available on CD from Amazon for £17 so I have invested .