BaL 31.12.11 Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite no 3

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library: Jonathan Swain with a personal recommendation from recordings of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite no.3

Available versions:


Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Sir Neville Marriner
L'Orchestre da la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Russian National Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Antal Dorati
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Henry Wood
Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Society, Kirill Kondrashin
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult (nla)
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Stefan Sanderling


Theme & Variations only:
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala Milano, Lovro von Matacic
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, John Barbirolli
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Schuricht

[cloughie]

9.30 Building a Library: Jonathan Swain with a personal recommendation from recordings of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite no.3

Available versions:


Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Sir Neville Marriner
L'Orchestre da la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Russian National Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Antal Dorati
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Henry Wood
Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Society, Kirill Kondrashin
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Adrian Boult
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Stefan Sanderling


Theme & Variations only:
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala Milano, Lovro von Matacic
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, John Barbirolli
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Schuricht

Are LPO Boult, USSRSO Svetlanov, LAPO Tilson-Thomas and Theme & Variations BPO Kempe no longer available?

[Don Petter]

A couple of others offered by MDT:

Concertgebouw, Kondrashin
Vienna PO, Kempe (Variations)

[PatrickOD]

See 'Swing that Christmas Tree'. Tchaikovsky has been done proud, man.

[salymap]

When I could get to concerts it was always just the Theme and Variations played. I've never heard the whole work played 'live'. Very fond of the work though.

[pastoralguy]

The 'Theme and Variation' was the first piece I ever heard in a concert! (BBCSSO under Chris Seaman at the SNO Proms in the Usher hall, 1977!)

One of my all time favourite recording of anything is the LPO under Boult which was the first budget cd I ever bought. (EMI Studio). It has to be said that the LPO were not on their finest form but the occasional slip, for me, simply adds to the frisson. A superb recording.

The most disapointing for me is Jarvi's with the Detroit. Despite being a big Jarvi fan this is horrible. He pulls the music all over the place. Funny how his recording career declined after he abandoned the SNO at the height of their success.

[verismissimo]

I've always had Svetlanov's recordings of the Orchestral Suites and recently I've been listening to Marriner/Stuttgart, which I like a lot.

I've been wondering why they get so little exposure in the concert hall? They certainly are a joy via the medium of recording.

Perhaps we'll get some insight into this question this morning.

[pastoralguy]

The (R)SNO used to play the second suite under Lazarev on occasion. The 2 accordians were played by a horn and bouble bass player from the Orchestra. Lazerev had them on opposite sides of the stage and he would give them an appreciative nod at the end of the movement that featured them before they returned to their day jobs.

[BBMmk2]

I think I have the Detroit SO/Jarvi version. Have to look methinks?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well, a recommended version that isn't available. I wonder whether the LPO/Boult will be reissued on the strength of this review? I must say, I found JS persuasive, having previously considered Sir Adrian to be a rather dull Tchaikovsky interpretator.

[PJPJ]

Amazon appears to be able to supply the Boult - EMI Gemini - and there are plenty of resellers.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Capriccio-italien-Marche-Voyevoda/dp/B0013D8K82/ref=sr_1_10?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1325328266&sr=1-10

[salymap]

Pastoralguy hit the nail on the head by saying how he enjoyed Boult/LPO earlier in this thread. I am trying hard to stop buying CDs, [because of funds and age], but am very tempted if the Boult/LPO soon becomes available. A favourite of mine and well done Sir Adrian to still be in the charts.

I only have the Theme and Variations, taken from the radio years ago. Sargent/BBCSO.

[Curalach]

The RSNO used to play the second suite under Lazarev on occasion. The 2 accordians were played by a horn and bouble bass player from the Orchestra. Lazerev had them on opposite sides of the stage and he would give them an appreciative nod at the end of the movement that featured them before they returned to their day jobs.

I remember that well. Lazarev himself plays the accordian so no doubt there was an interesting rehearsal!

The most disappointing for me is Jarvi's with the Detroit. Funny how his recording career declined after he abandoned the SNO at the height of their success.

I agree. His abrupt departure had much to do with the fact that his contract with the SNO was in Sterling at a time when the £ had slumped against the $. His agent called time but it left a bad taste. Despite this, the musicians appointed him Conductor Laureate, which he still is, after only 4 years as MD. Alex Gibson, 25 years, described it as "an award for desertion".
Apart from his Gothenburg recordings he has, in my opinion, never achieved better results than he did with the SNO and it is good to have him back performing and recording with the Orchestra again, despite some rather odd repertoire!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've been wondering why they get so little exposure in the concert hall? They certainly are a joy via the medium of recording.

They would make splendid Prom material, but I think their neglect in the "normal" concert season is that they don't attract crowds - not famous enough? (Vicious circle) - boring titles? ("Symphony" carries greater kudos than "Orchestral Suite", the very vowels of which insist on lugubrious pronunciation a la Clement Freud!)

But then, nearly thirty years ago, I attended a performance of the First Symphony, one of the composer's brightest works, with the LSO conducted by Serebrier. The Hall was at least a third empty (for optimists, nearly 2/3 full, but this was "crowd-pleaser" Tchaikovsky on a pleasant Saturday night in May). Perhaps audiences prefer their Tchaikovsky at his most breast-beatingly miserable?

Best Wishes.

[pastoralguy]

I also have a 'Studio' disc of Boult conducting Russian music. (This seems to be on the Gemini discs). It is SUPERB and I'd recommend this compilation to anyone interested in great music making.

Nice to hear one's views echoed by a reviewer - makes a change from shouting at the radio!!