Tchaikovsky

[zamyrabyrd]

Valery Gergiev recorded all of the Tchaikovsky Symphonies with the Mariinsky Orchestra, including some shorter works as the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin. Not only the aural quality but the visuals are impressive.
The whole series was on TV some years ago. Luckily there was still an VHS recorder on standby.

https://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Symphonies-Nos-4-5-6/dp/B005HK8L18

[kyjo]

Just discovered Tchaikovsky's infrequently-heard "symphonic ballad" The Voyevoda and was quite stunned! A late work, it is possibly the most "modern" in feel of any Tchaikovsky work that I know. It's orchestration is highly successful and colorful (something that can't be said for some other works of his IMO), with creative use of percussion, celeste, and harp. It's even rather proto-Sibelian (!) with its tensely charged opening timpani figure and its overall sense of inevitability. It ends with bone-crushing low brass straight out of the Pathetique and Manfred symphonies. Powerful and really surprising stuff!

[Brahmsian]

Just discovered Tchaikovsky's infrequently-heard "symphonic ballad" The Voyevoda and was quite stunned! A late work, it is possibly the most "modern" in feel of any Tchaikovsky work that I know. It's orchestration is highly successful and colorful (something that can't be said for some other works of his IMO), with creative use of percussion, celeste, and harp. It's even rather proto-Sibelian (!) with its tensely charged opening timpani figure and its overall sense of inevitability. It ends with bone-crushing low brass straight out of the Pathetique and Manfred symphonies. Powerful and really surprising stuff!

Glad you enjoyed it.  It is a great piece!

[SymphonicAddict]

Glad you enjoyed it.  It is a great piece!

+1!

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

'It...preserves a volatile performance of the Tchaikovsky 5th unlike any of Stokowski's three commercial recordings. Here, in front of an enthusiastic Detroit audience, he is swept up in the passion of the moment to a considerable degree.'

I don't doubt the intensity of the performance, but I find it implausible that the performance was the way it was because the conductor was "swept up in the passion of the moment." The conductors influence on a performance is formed during rehearsal, not because of how he waves the baton during the performance. (And it now occurs to me that Stowkowski conducted without a baton.) Expressive effects executed by an ensemble of 100 musicians are calculated, not spontaneous.

I'll admit I tend to interpret displays of 'emotion' by conductors on the podium as phony and manipulative. I saw Bernstein conduct the NY Philharmonic once and all of his jumping up and down on the podium struck me as ridiculous.

[Gurn Blanston]

Just discovered Tchaikovsky's infrequently-heard "symphonic ballad" The Voyevoda and was quite stunned! A late work, it is possibly the most "modern" in feel of any Tchaikovsky work that I know. It's orchestration is highly successful and colorful (something that can't be said for some other works of his IMO), with creative use of percussion, celeste, and harp. It's even rather proto-Sibelian (!) with its tensely charged opening timpani figure and its overall sense of inevitability. It ends with bone-crushing low brass straight out of the Pathetique and Manfred symphonies. Powerful and really surprising stuff!

Glad you enjoyed it.  It is a great piece!

Indeed it is! I was surprised and delighted when I first heard it too. I have Inbal and Petrenko in it now, I'd take either of them. 

[PerfectWagnerite]

Just want to say: Happy birthday Peter !

[Todd]

Starting in on Valentina Lisitsa's survey of the complete Tchaikovsky solo piano works.  Plus some four hands works she plays with her husband.  Everything was recorded in short order in December 2017 and January 2018 in a Bösendorfer studio using a Bösendorfer piano.  I'm not sure that the piano is the best choice for Tchaikovsky, but I'm guessing it's a sponsorship thing.  Anyhoo, almost all of my Tchaikovsky piano related music is limited to the First Piano Concerto, so most of the music is new to me.

The first disc contains early works.  Tchaikovsky wrote often and early for piano as eight of his first ten opus numbers are devoted to works for the instrument.  The works are mostly collections of miniatures, with the thirteen minute plus Op 4 Valse-caprice the big work here.  Everything sounds of its time and perhaps place.  It's romantic music, but not too taxing for the most part.  There are audible clues to it being from Tchaikovsky, and everything sounds more or less attractive, if not always entirely memorable.  A few pieces, though brief or brief-ish, do seem a bit too long, but that's OK.

Lisitsa plays quite well, and while her instrument sounds very much like a Bösendorfer, with some sharper than Steinway upper registers, through careful pedaling and finger legato, she coaxes some lovely sounds from her instrument.  With some bigger, better known pieces coming, I'm thinking it may not hurt to maybe snap up at least one or two other discs for comparison, just so I don't think Lisitsa offers the last word in Tchaikovsky piano playing.

[Florestan]

Starting in on Valentina Lisitsa's survey of the complete Tchaikovsky solo piano works.  Plus some four hands works she plays with her husband.  Everything was recorded in short order in December 2017 and January 2018 in a Bösendorfer studio using a Bösendorfer piano.  I'm not sure that the piano is the best choice for Tchaikovsky, but I'm guessing it's a sponsorship thing.  Anyhoo, almost all of my Tchaikovsky piano related music is limited to the First Piano Concerto, so most of the music is new to me.

The first disc contains early works.  Tchaikovsky wrote often and early for piano as eight of his first ten opus numbers are devoted to works for the instrument.  The works are mostly collections of miniatures, with the thirteen minute plus Op 4 Valse-caprice the big work here.  Everything sounds of its time and perhaps place.  It's romantic music, but not too taxing for the most part.  There are audible clues to it being from Tchaikovsky, and everything sounds more or less attractive, if not always entirely memorable.  A few pieces, though brief or brief-ish, do seem a bit too long, but that's OK.

Lisitsa plays quite well, and while her instrument sounds very much like a Bösendorfer, with some sharper than Steinway upper registers, through careful pedaling and finger legato, she coaxes some lovely sounds from her instrument.  With some bigger, better known pieces coming, I'm thinking it may not hurt to maybe snap up at least one or two other discs for comparison, just so I don't think Lisitsa offers the last word in Tchaikovsky piano playing.

Great review, thanks!

The only competition she has for a complete cycle is Viktoria Postnikova which I have and am very pleased with. Being a Tchaikovsky afficionado, I got Lisitsa's set as well --- but I'll be damned if I'm ever going to do any A/B comparison. I'll just spin whatever disc I fancy and simply wallow in the music.

As individual discs I have Lugansky, Pletnev, Dang Thai Son and Jonas Vitaud. Like them all.

[Jo498]

Of the big names, Pletnev has probably recorded more solo Tchaikovsky than most, although some is introuvable on old Melodiya issues.
There is also at least one Richter recital on Regis/Olympia/whatever and a mono recording of the big G major sonata by him.

[Florestan]

Of the big names, Pletnev has probably recorded more solo Tchaikovsky than most, although some is introuvable on old Melodiya issues.

This is what I have:



If anyone is interested in hearing it, just PM me.

[Roasted Swan]

Great review, thanks!

The only competition she has for a complete cycle is Viktoria Postnikova

not completely true - there's an old Vox/turnabout set from Michael Ponti remastered on Membran.

[asin]B0018BWTLS[/asin]

as ever "complete" can be a movable feast and I have not compared the new set to Ponti's to set if anything is missing.  Also - as ever - with Ponti - you get bravura piano playing that can occasionally loose detail in the sheer spectacle of his virtuosic style.  But I must admit to rather enjoying his approach.  Some find this remastered sound OK, others are less generous......... but its excellent value

[Florestan]

not completely true - there's an old Vox/turnabout set from Michael Ponti remastered on Membran.

[asin]B0018BWTLS[/asin]

as ever "complete" can be a movable feast and I have not compared the new set to Ponti's to set if anything is missing.  Also - as ever - with Ponti - you get bravura piano playing that can occasionally loose detail in the sheer spectacle of his virtuosic style.  But I must admit to rather enjoying his approach.  Some find this remastered sound OK, others are less generous......... but its excellent value

Drat! That is the last thing I needed, but --- on to the wishlist it goes.

[Roasted Swan]

Drat! That is the last thing I needed, but --- on to the wishlist it goes.

Sorry!  Ponti also  recorded the concerti on Vox with the Prague SO - again not my top choice but I do like his impulsive and individual approach.....

[asin]B000024Q0V[/asin]

certainly worth a £1.60 punt + postage!

[JBS]

Drat! That is the last thing I needed, but --- on to the wishlist it goes.

As long as you are wishlisting that, put his Scriabin on there too. It's on Vox, in two parts (2CDs for the Sonatas, 5 CDs for everything else), and his style works very well there. Have not heard his PIT.

ETA Amazon indicates the  Vox issue of Ponti's Tchaikovsky is available in  a similar multi installment fashion if you want to avoid Membran.

[Daverz]

This is what I have:



If anyone is interested in hearing it, just PM me.

It's been reissued on the Alto label.  It's also on the streaming services.

[asin] B06XS2R3H1[/asin]

[Jo498]

There is another Pletnev disc with older material on alto/Regis (and they were both on BMG long ago), one newer one on DG and fillers for Mussorgsky on Virgin.

[asin]B0007XZUGE[/asin] [asin]B000026CM1[/asin] [asin]B0007DHQ48[/asin]

[Todd]

Disc 2, song transcriptions, multiple morceaux, and one theme and variations work.  A collection of miniatures of varying levels of interest.  Lisitsa draws some beautiful sounds from her Bosendorfer, lending a wonderfully lyrical sound to some of the pieces.  A few pieces veer toward a saccharine sound that sometimes seems to pervade some Tchaikovsky works, but most are quite delightful pieces.  Some would make for a good surprise encore.

[Todd]

Disc 3, the Grande Sonata Op 37 and the C Sharp Minor sonata Op 80.  I looked through my collection, and I don't have even one other version of either work.  Op 37 is indeed grand, large of scale and echt-romantic.  It lacks the cohesion of Germanic sonatas, but there are passages of romantic abandon, and Lisitsa seems to have zero difficulty with the music.  The Op 80 work offers a couple neat things.  Notes come at the listener in fast and furious mode, and one can hear an outsize influence of Mendelssohn.  This influence becomes most obvious in the Scherzo, which was later transmogrified to become the Scherzo of the First Symphony.  It works exceedingly well in small format, too.  A quite strong disc.  The cutting sound of the piano aids things a bit.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Has anybody heard the orchestration Tchaikovsky did of the first 190 bars of the first movement of Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata?