Tchaikowsky's last symphony

[richardfinegold]

It makes sense to me. I have been to some Pletnev Tchaikovsky concerts (I have no recordings) and he is very special with Chaik, IMV.

P.S. If you're not keen on #6, you might try the old ruse of reversing the order of the last two movements. All's well that ends well

There are two Pletnev Tcahik cycles, with the same orchestra, about 15 years apart. I have the more recent cycle on Pentatone SACDs. I like Pletnev in the Manfred as well, and I have the older Manfred from DG; they are remarkably similar

[richardfinegold]

I may have missed it on this thread, but regarding Legends surrounding the Pathetique, has any one discussed the idea that was floated a few years ago that the Composer deliberately committed suicide by drinking a glass of water infected with cholera, after suppossedly being condemned to death by his old Law School Classmates for being homosexual?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That's old hat. I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure.

[Ferretfancy]

I'll second all of that but with the addition of Previn as a recommended version.

0

Silvestri with the Bournemouth SO is also very recommendable.

[Warlock]

Barbirolli for me!

[Hornspieler]

0

Silvestri with the Bournemouth SO is also very recommendable.

Thanks for that, FF

We played all of the symphonies. including Manfred, which was the first time that I encountered it since playing it with Beecham and the RPO in 1956. Symphony Nº 3 was particularly impressive and Nº 4 also, if you could bear the Maestro substituting the triplet opening quavers with 2 semi quavers and a crotchet!

(We all have our own shortcomings)

HS

[vinteuil]

. . . Manfred, which was the first time that I encountered it since playing it with Beecham and the RPO in 1956. Symphony Nº 3 was particularly impressive and Nº 4 also, if you could bear the Maestro substituting the triplet opening quavers with 2 semi quavers and a crotchet!


HS

... why is Hornspieler digressing from the subject of the Opening Post ?

[BBMmk2]

I heard the recording by Mariss Jansons, yesterday, which Moved me, to say the least.I would think this would sound very good for concert band.

[Tapiola]

Alexander Ivashkin, in his monograph on Schnittke, talks of several Schnittke and other Russian works (in particular symphonies) that are 'dying' - works that eschew a triumphant, upbeat or resolutory finale, in favour of an extended postlude or epilogue, sometimes of disproportionate length to the rest of the work. Such works would include Schnittke's 3rd Symphony and 2nd Cello Concerto, and also (as ahinton has mentioned upthread) Shostakovich's 4th. Ivashkin identifies Tchaikovsky's 6th as the pioneer example of this concept of the symphony that is dying.

Quite coincidentally to this thread, I have been listening rather a lot recently to Tchaik 6 in the live recording in the Yuri Temirkanov Brilliant Classics set. A very powerful reading indeed.

[Hornspieler]

... why is Hornspieler digressing from the subject of the Opening Post ?

Because any discussion about the motivation and effectiveness of his last symphony must examine the comparison between Tchaikowsky's final symphony and his previous symphonic style and output.

HS

[vinteuil]

Because any discussion about the motivation and effectiveness of his last symphony must examine the comparison between Tchaikowsky's final symphony and his previous symphonic style and output.

HS

..

Can we please stick to the subject of this post:

Tchaikowsky's 6th symphony and the legends which surround it

Symphony Nº 5 and its merits does not belong here.
Can we not stick to the point of this thread and take our matters both technical and irelevant elsewhere?

Thank you

HS

[ahinton]

Somehow the words "hoist" and "petard" spring unbidden to mind...

[teamsaint]

Somehow the words "hoist" and "petard" sring unbidden to mind...

Hmmmm...must be a good market for a patent Petard Hoist....

[Tapiola]

Alexander Ivashkin, in his monograph on Schnittke, talks of several Schnittke and other Russian works (in particular symphonies) that are 'dying' - works that eschew a triumphant, upbeat or resolutory finale, in favour of an extended postlude or epilogue, sometimes of disproportionate length to the rest of the work. Such works would include Schnittke's 3rd Symphony and 2nd Cello Concerto, and also (as ahinton has mentioned upthread) Shostakovich's 4th. Ivashkin identifies Tchaikovsky's 6th as the pioneer example of this concept of the symphony that is dying.

Quite coincidentally to this thread, I have been listening rather a lot recently to Tchaik 6 in the live recording in the Yuri Temirkanov Brilliant Classics set. A very powerful reading indeed.

Apologies for the self-bump, but one could develop the idea of the 'dying' symphony to works such as Silvestrov's 5th Symphony, essentially a 45-minute postlude to a previous and unspecified 'drama'.

[Dave2002]

And indeed I was sad to see that Alexander Ivashkin himself died not too long ago. A fine cellist. Sorry - Off Topic!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Ivashkin