Your Favorite Tchaikovsky Pieces

[(poco) Sforzando]

DO NOT listen to the cut (e.g. Gilels) version of Concerto No. 2! Whatever recording you get, the slow movement should be around 13 minutes long. If it's only 6-7 minutes, avoid.

Or play it twice.

[springrite]

Not my favourite composer but Violin Concerto and the Rococo Variations are among my favourites.


Kimi: "I don't like Tchaikovsky. He's always whining."

Me: "You don't seem to mind Mahler whining."

Kimi: "Mahler whines more beautifully."

Me: ... (speechless)

[Mirror Image]

Kimi: "I don't like Tchaikovsky. He's always whining."

Me: "You don't seem to mind Mahler whining."

Kimi: "Mahler whines more beautifully."

Me: ... (speechless)

[USMC1960s]

(Nutcracker CD recording recommendations also)

[(poco) Sforzando]

(Just as an aside, does anyone have a recommendation as to a DVD of The Nutcracker/Swan Lake/Sleeping Beauty or any of them by themselves on DVD? Especially The Nutcracker.

I have no idea which ballet groups/versions are good, mediocre, outstanding. I've seen a few versions, but could use some recommendations. Thanks.)

For the Nutcracker, I would get the NYC Ballet version. It "stars" a very young Macaulay Culkin, but fortunately he doesn't get too much in the way, but more to the point it gives you some fine NYCB stars of its time like Darci Kistler, Wendy Whelan, and Damien Woetzel. And best of all you get George Balanchine's incomparable staging.

For CDs, I like Dorati, and in its more manic way, Gergiev.

Back at you later on the others.

[USMC1960s]

Thank you----I see quite a few DVDs and CDs on Arkivmusic

[springrite]

For Swan Lake, if you can be a bit more adventurous, try the one with all male dancers (aka the "Billy Elliott" version) with incredible athleticism and a different type of beauty.

[Scion7]

Well, to cut it down to six SEVEN* or so, his Violin Concerto, Piano Trio, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Manfred Symphony, Piano Concerto No.1 and the sixth symphony.  But as the greatest Russian composer (watches as M.I.'s spleen bursts, and he falls into the fetal position to die a 'orrible, excruciating death), there is so, so much more.  His incidental music, for instance, is always satisfying.

* Went mad there for a second. How could I leave off one of three greatest violin concertos (along with Beethoven's and Brahms')??  Mondays - they kill me.

[USMC1960s]

I feel a M.I. storm brewing.

[Scion7]

He'll just have to double his tranquilizer meds. 

[springrite]

I feel a M.I. storm brewing.

His incidental music, for instance, is always satisfying.

Nah! M.I. will just laugh and say "All of Tchaikovsky's music are no more than incidental."

[Scion7]

Oh boy, I LOVE Tchaikovsky! 
.
.
Piano Trio

Could you imagine if Tchaikovsky had been a student of Brahms and had brought this work to him for his critique?      "Ahem, well, Pete, you've got some wonderful melodies here, and your development is not too bad, but let's see what we can do about tidying this up a wee bit technically, would that be okay with you?"

[kishnevi]

Well, to cut it down to six SEVEN* or so, his Violin Concerto, Piano Trio, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Manfred Symphony, Piano Concerto No.1 and the sixth symphony.  But as the greatest Russian composer (watches as M.I.'s spleen bursts, and he falls into the fetal position to die a 'orrible, excruciating death), there is so, so much more.  His incidental music, for instance, is always satisfying.

* Went mad there for a second. How could I leave off one of three greatest violin concertos (along with Beethoven's and Brahms')??  Mondays - they kill me.

I didn't know Shostakovich composed The Nutcracker.

For Swan Lake, if you can be a bit more adventurous, try the one with all male dancers (aka the "Billy Elliott" version) with incredible athleticism and a different type of beauty.

Meaning the Matthew Bourne production, which should indeed be seen at least once.

[Scion7]

^ re: Nutcracker - what in the world are you talking about??

And springrite, you've quoted my post under USMC's name above - he might take offense to that, and possibly flashback to Parris Island mode, and there could be trouble.

[kishnevi]

^ re: Nutcracker - what in the world are you talking about??

You did say "the greatest Russian composer".  😈

I think PITch. wrote a large number of excellent works, a couple of great symphonies and concertos, and is overall very listenable.  But I rarely " connect" with his music in the way I do with later Russians, like Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and above all Shostakovich.

PITch. also has the handicap of me having heard his symphonies only in performances that could induce diabetic comas, so sugary were they.  Dudamel's Fifth was the first performance of that work that made me want to hear it again.

[USMC1960s]

(Still laughing at "Parris Island mode")

[bhodges]

My faves, in no particular order:

Serenade for Strings (grew up with the Ormandy/Philadelphia version)

Eugene Onegin (the Met Opera DVD with Gergiev, Hvorostovsky and Fleming - in Robert Carsen's spare, light-filled production - is fantastic)

All six symphonies - yes, even the first three (of many fine recordings, Jansons/Oslo is a pretty great set).

--Bruce

[USMC1960s]

This bantering reminded me of a 2008 bantering thread I started as dave b, before I lost all my username log in info and had to start over recently, with a different username:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,6833.msg160380.html#msg160380

This is what can happen when you ask a question here that you yourself don't know the answer to

[USMC1960s]

His 6th Symphony is my favorite, of his symphonies, that is. Piano Trio is another favorite, along with Serenade for Strings.

Still looking at those DVDs and CDs of Nutcracker and the other 2 ballets---quite a few performances.

[Mirror Image]

Well, to cut it down to six SEVEN* or so, his Violin Concerto, Piano Trio, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Manfred Symphony, Piano Concerto No.1 and the sixth symphony.  But as the greatest Russian composer (watches as M.I.'s spleen bursts, and he falls into the fetal position to die a 'orrible, excruciating death), there is so, so much more.  His incidental music, for instance, is always satisfying.

* Went mad there for a second. How could I leave off one of three greatest violin concertos (along with Beethoven's and Brahms')??  Mondays - they kill me.

Like Jeffrey, I prefer the later Russians to Tchaikovsky. I suppose a lot of it has to do with the harsher political environment that say Prokofiev and Shostakovich (and later Schnittke) had to compose under that helped 'shape' their music. I really can't put my finger on it but I think these particular Russians tapped into an emotional world that other composers still writing in a Romantic style couldn't hardly relate to or even fathom. This hostile environment really gave birth to so many composers I admire and, of course, I'm talking about the branches from the USSR as well like Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia. etc. where the Soviet takeover really forced many composers to create some of their most mind-numblingly powerful work in secret. It seems this kind of pressure caused many of them to be even more individualistic. Of course, some composers like Mosolov or Popov, etc. weren't so lucky. Anyway...what were we talking about again?