BaL 27.04.13 - Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Fantasy Overture Op.67

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am Building a Library Stephen Walsh with a recommendation from recordings of Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Fantasy Overture Op.67

Available recordings:-


Utah Symphony Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel
St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Andrei Anikhanov
Israel PO, Leonard Bernstein
The Oregon Symphony Orchestra, James DePreist
Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel
Tchaikovsky Orchestra of Radio Moscow, Vladimir Fedoseyev
LPO, Sir Alexander Gibson (download)
LPO, Vernon Handley
Polish National Radio SO, Adrian Leaper
Philharmonia Orchestra, Lovro von Matacic
Boston SO, Pierre Monteux
CBSO, Andris Nelsons
Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev
Deutsche Radio Phiharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Christoph Poppen
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Schuricht (download)
Bamberg SO, Jose Serebrier
Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, Jac van Steen
Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York, Leopold Stokowski
The State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov
Philharmonia Cassovia, Johannes Wildner (download)
South Jutland SO, Vladimir Ziva

[Bryn]

You appear to have missed LPO/Boult. It's currently available in at least two manifestations:

and

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That Decca Ace of Clubs recording was the first one I ever had. I recall a couple of horrendous orchestral errors.

The VPO Maazel doesn't seem to be around any more.

[Barbirollians]

Stoky surely !

[Petrushka]

Stoky surely !

Stoky somehow manages to make Hamlet out to be the masterpiece it very nearly is and has to be first choice. However, I do like the VPO/Maazel version which runs it pretty close and disappointed to see it's NLA.

[verismissimo]

Stoky somehow manages to make Hamlet out to be the masterpiece it very nearly is...

I think the question is: why is it not a Tchaikovsky masterpiece? It's never really rung my bell.

I can hear that it's "pictorial", but it just seems to me to go from one brash episode to another.

What am I missing?

[verismissimo]

Stoky somehow manages to make Hamlet out to be the masterpiece it very nearly is...

I think the question is: why is it not a Tchaikovsky masterpiece? It's never really rung my bell.

I can hear that it's "pictorial", but it just seems to me to go from one brash episode to another.

What am I missing?

[LeMartinPecheur]

I think the question is: why is it not a Tchaikovsky masterpiece? It's never really rung my bell.

I can hear that it's "pictorial", but it just seems to me to go from one brash episode to another.

What am I missing?

verismissimo: does your double post mean that you're only now trying it in stereo??

PS I have only the Stoky, on an LP bought as a student. Don't think I'll need to replace it now!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was given the Handley/LPO CfP LP coupling with Francesca as a Christmas present in 1975 - loved it (the performance and the piece) from the start and was astonished when the Penguin Guide told me I was totally wrong in my opinion. Hamlet isn't "not a Tchaikovsky masterpiece" for me - the it's the real thing.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't think the New Philharmonia/ Markevitch is available either. I'm listening to it now,score in hand.

[Gordon]

That Decca Ace of Clubs recording was the first one I ever had. I recall a couple of horrendous orchestral errors...

RE: #2 and #3: The recording of Hamlet was made as an additional unscheduled item after the recording of VW London symphony in January 1952 at Kingsway. Apprently they had performaed it in concert a few days before and so inserted it into the session. Perhaps shortness of time might explain the errors? Pristine Audio has it as a download [PASC039] with its original LP coupling, 1812.

[Rolmill]

I have the Stokowski and Pletnev recordings - I prefer the former, which is an absolute classic IMO.

I also have an Olympia two CD set of Tchaikovsky overtures and fantasies with Veronika Dudarova conducting the Symphony Orchestra of Russia, recorded in 1992, not sure if it is nla now? Quite exciting in places, but some coarse playing and a mediocre recording render it inferior to the Pletnev, who offers all of the repertoire + a very good Manfred symphony on a 3 CD Trio set.

[vinteuil]

“Just the omission of Jane Austen's books alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a book in it.”

― Mark Twain

“Just the omission of Tchaikovsky's works alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a CD in it.”

― 'vinteuil'

[aeolium]

Mark Twain did write some terrible tripe sometimes, didn't he?

[vinteuil]

Mark Twain did write some terrible tripe sometimes, didn't he?

... indeed he did. I'm a great lover of the works of Jane Austen