Tchaikovsky Symphonies

[Beef Oven!]

Currently listening to this................

[pastoralguy]

Currently listening to this................

I remember my Grandad giving me a fiver for my 13th birthday which I spent on the LP that this disc comes from. (Minus the wonderful Italian Caprice which was c/w Ferras's Tchaikovsky violin concerto LP). Previously, I only had the SNO/Gibson CfP disc and I was struck by the obvious superiority of the orchestral playing but not the interpretation which seems to take a bit of time to get going.

Happy days.

[Beef Oven!]

I remember my Grandad giving me a fiver for my 13th birthday which I spent on the LP that this disc comes from. (Minus the wonderful Italian Caprice which was c/w Ferras's Tchaikovsky violin concerto LP). Previously, I only had the SNO/Gibson CfP disc and I was struck by the obvious superiority of the orchestral playing but not the interpretation which seems to take a bit of time to get going.

Happy days.

I think I was about 35 when I bought the CD! I was just as interested in the Capriccio Italien, as the symphony.

[Alison]

Do you have all of Sir Alex's recordings Pastoralguy ?

[pastoralguy]

Do you have all of Sir Alex's recordings Pastoralguy ?

I've tried to collect (R)SNO recordings over the years, Alison so I suppose I have a fair few. He did make a couple of discs with the ECO and the RPO for Chandos and Collins Classics respectivaly the end of his career but most were with his beloved SNO.

I suspect what counted against him was that he was a bit out of the mainstream,what with living and working in Scotland. I also remember An old fiddle player I knew in the SNO reckoned that he sacrificed his development as a conductor in the colossal effort it took to establish Scottish Opera.

[Rolmill]

I have:

1 Leaper
2 & 4 Abbado
3 Slatkin
4-6 Mravinsky
4 Szell
5 Jansons
6 Jansons, Mackerras, Pletnev
Manfred Pletnev

All of these are good, IMO, with the Mravinsky set and the Mackerras and Pletnev 'Pathetique's being superb.

Various piano concerto recordings, of which Argerich (with either Chailly or Dutoit) in no.1 and Donohoe in no.2 would be my choices.

[Beef Oven!]

I have just remembered that I also have Celibidache & The Munich Philharmonic in 4, 5 & 6.

Playing #4 at the moment - 1st movement clocks in at 23 minutes and 19 seconds!!!!!!

[LeMartinPecheur]

FWIW I can find on disc (LP or CD):

1-6 + Manfred: Jansons and Litton
1: Sinaisky (BBC MM)
2: Masur, Noseda (BBC MM)
3: No single version anywhere, I'm pleased to report!
4. Szell, Bernstein
5: Silvestri, Maazel, Ashkenazy, Mengelberg, Otaka (BBC MM), + Haitink on cassette.
6: Mravinsky, Karajan, A Davis (BBC MM), Rozhdestvensky, Talich, + Giulini on cassette.

Manfred: Muti, Pletnev

Oh, just remembered (slightly rarer fare): 4 & 5 on 78s from Constant Lambert!

[richardfinegold]

... having just treated myself to the Mariss Jansons Oslo Philharmonic Orchetra's complete set on emusic and enjoying them immensely i found myself wondering what versions others here might prefer in these works .... i am increasingly drawn to the composer and have no aversion to multiple versions of his works

any thoughts on the Piano Ctos?

I grew up with Monteux and the Boston Symphony in 4-6 and still enjoy them. For complete sets Ormandy/Philadelphia and Muti/Philharmonia are both available for a pittance.
In High Resolution sound I would take Pletnev in SACD over Kitaenko or Jarvi, or over Gergiev (Blu-Ray).

[richardfinegold]

FWIW I can find on disc (LP or CD):

1-6 + Manfred: Jansons and Litton
1: Sinaisky (BBC MM)
2: Masur, Noseda (BBC MM)
3: No single version anywhere, I'm pleased to report!
4. Szell, Bernstein
5: Silvestri, Maazel, Ashkenazy, Mengelberg, Otaka (BBC MM), + Haitink on cassette.
6: Mravinsky, Karajan, A Davis (BBC MM), Rozhdestvensky, Talich, + Giulini on cassette.

Manfred: Muti, Pletnev

Oh, just remembered (slightly rarer fare): 4 & 5 on 78s from Constant Lambert!

Having just heard Muti lead 3 in Chicago, I have played his Philharmonia recording a few times. I prefer Pletnev or Bernstein/NYPhil.

[richardfinegold]

Regarding the PCs, I have tried mightily through the years but not developed any fondness for 2 or 3. You are spoiled for choice in 1.
Regarding the Chamber works, I would stick with the Borodin Quartet recordings from the 60s.

[kea]

Regarding the Chamber works, I would stick with the Borodin Quartet recordings from the 60s.

My preference is the St Petersburg Quartet though that leaves you wanting a Souvenir de Florence (as they chose instead to record some of Tchaikovsky's string quartet fragments). Their sound and interpretations have always* appealed to me quite a bit, which should probably come as no surprise seeing as they're students of the first violinist & leader (Vladimir Ovcharek) of one of my favourite string ensembles in history (the Taneyev Quartet). And it's from the 90s so sound is more modern for those for whom that matters.

* for 'always' read 'since a few months back when I got their Shostakovich cycle'

[richardfinegold]

My preference is the St Petersburg Quartet though that leaves you wanting a Souvenir de Florence (as they chose instead to record some of Tchaikovsky's string quartet fragments). Their sound and interpretations have always* appealed to me quite a bit, which should probably come as no surprise seeing as they're students of the first violinist & leader (Vladimir Ovcharek) of one of my favourite string ensembles in history (the Taneyev Quartet). And it's from the 90s so sound is more modern for those for whom that matters.

* for 'always' read 'since a few months back when I got their Shostakovich cycle'

I haven't heard them. I recommend the Borodin as a safe choice. The members of the Quartet all studied with teachers that had been colleagues of the Composer. The sound is acceptable, particularly as reissued by Chandos on CD.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Regarding the PCs, I have tried mightily through the years but not developed any fondness for 2 or 3. You are spoiled for choice in 1.
Regarding the Chamber works, I would stick with the Borodin Quartet recordings from the 60s.

No. 3 is a can of worms. Do you only play the 1st movement as the composer left it, or do you include the "Andante and Finale", orchestrated by Sergei Taneyev?

[Roehre]

No. 3 is a can of worms. Do you only play the 1st movement as the composer left it, or do you include the "Andante and Finale", orchestrated by Sergei Taneyev?

Or are you listening to the Symphony (no.7) as Tchaikovsky left it in Bogatyryev's orchestration?