Tchaikovsky

[Karl Henning]

The economics behind The Nutcracker are no fairy tale

[Karl Henning]

So, the songs (more properly, романсы) . . . where do we go for a good complete set? Recommendations, please!

[mc ukrneal]

So, the songs (more properly, романсы) . . . where do we go for a good complete set? Recommendations, please!

Tough question. For a male voice there is Christoff, who I like. But here you need to get the the set of discs that includes much more and not sure if it is available (and if available, at a reasonable price). For a more modern version, Hvorestovsky is always an option. I don't really like him, but he can sing with the best of them with that voice (and he has a disc of Tchaikovsky, though not sure if complete).

For women, there is a disc on Hyperion. I know I listened to the excerpts, but never got the disc. Don't remember why. But I did get the disc with Olga Borodina, whose voice I just love in this music. This is the best I have heard so far (good sonics, singing, balance between voice and piano, etc). But there is a relatively new version on Onyx with Christianne Stotijn, that has reviewed well. The concern I might have here is diction, whereas this is not an issue with Borodina.

I usually shy away from the Melodiya archives, for sonics and style reasons, but I bet they have some good ones. Whether available or not, a whole different question.

Hope that helps. Not easy to screw these songs up though.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks! Agreed that Мелодия is a little too apt to be a little too dodgy (it was a Мелодия recording which put me off Prokofiev's Le pas d'acier for a looooong time).

Delos did such good service with the voice-&-pf works of Prokofiev and Shostakovich . . . hmmm . . . .

[mc ukrneal]

Thanks! Agreed that Мелодия is a little too apt to be a little too dodgy (it was a Мелодия recording which put me off Prokofiev's Le pas d'acier for a looooong time).

Delos did such good service with the voice-&-pf works of Prokofiev and Shostakovich . . . hmmm . . . .

They (Delos) have the most songs (24) vs 19 (Borodina), 20 (Stotijn), 21 (Rodgers on Hyperion) and 18 (Christoff). So this seems to be the 'most complete'.

EDIT: There appear to be two attemps at complete song cycles - one on Conifer and one on Naxos. Have not heard either.

[sheffmark]

Tchaikovky's Swan Lake Suite is beautiful in my opinion but did he ever compose a more beautiful piece of music?
If so, what are the nominations?
I only know Swan Lake, Nutcracker Suite & Sleeping Beauty suite so any input would be welcomed!
Thanks!

[springrite]

Tchaikovky's Swan Lake Suite is beautiful in my opinion but did he ever compose a more beautiful piece of music?
If so, what are the nominations?
I only know Swan Lake, Nutcracker Suite & Sleeping Beauty suite so any input would be welcomed!
Thanks!

Since you love those works, then Serenade from Strings should be right up your alley as well. You can probably along part of it ("Oh that's where that melody came from!).

[North Star]

The Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, Symphonies 4,5 & 6, Piano Concerto no. 1, and the Violin Concerto are all great pieces.

[madaboutmahler]

Tchaikovky's Swan Lake Suite is beautiful in my opinion but did he ever compose a more beautiful piece of music?
If so, what are the nominations?
I only know Swan Lake, Nutcracker Suite & Sleeping Beauty suite so any input would be welcomed!
Thanks!

Tchaikovsky certainly composed many many many beautiful pieces, Mark. The 6th symphony is a personal favourite of mine, and a very powerful, beautiful piece. Tchaikovsky was surely one of the most inspired melodists too, and the beauty can be heard in the melodies from the middle section of 'Francesca da Rimini', or the love theme from 'Romeo and Juliet'. Just two examples! Tchaikovsky composed so so many great pieces, definitely a favourite composer of mine!

And you are certainly right in saying that the ballets are beautiful too!

[sheffmark]

Thank-you springrite,North Star and madaboutmahler!
Plenty of suggestions there to get my teeth into!
I'll certainly check out all of the suggestions and i'll let you know how much i liked them!
Thanks all!

[Karl Henning]

I was going to say, practically every note that Tchaikovsky wrote is beautiful . . . .

[madaboutmahler]

Thank-you springrite,North Star and madaboutmahler!
Plenty of suggestions there to get my teeth into!
I'll certainly check out all of the suggestions and i'll let you know how much i liked them!
Thanks all!

A pleasure, Mark! I hope you enjoy it all. Well, I'm sure you will, it is rather impossible not to enjoy Tchaikovsky.

[sheffmark]

I was going to say, practically every note that Tchaikovsky wrote is beautiful . . . .

You may be right!!

[sheffmark]

A pleasure, Mark! I hope you enjoy it all. Well, I'm sure you will, it is rather impossible not to enjoy Tchaikovsky.

Thank-you madaboutmahler !
I'm sure i will

[Lisztianwagner]

The ballets are definitely outstanding, but they are not the only masterpieces Tchaikovsky composed. All his music is pervaded by deep, intense beauty, a natural elegance and a sublime harmony, but at the same time it is very passionate and powerful too, absolutely impressive. In his compositions, the orchestration is superb, very colourful, with an extraordinary timbric sensibility and the expressive possibilites of the instruments wonderfully used.
The symphonies (especially the 4th and the 6th) are absolutely amazing, and so are the Piano Concerto No.1, Capriccio Italien, Ouverture 1812, Marche Slave and Romeo and Juliet.
No need to say that Karajan's recordings are the best ever made!

[sheffmark]

No need to say that Karajan's recordings are the best ever made!

Thanks Lisztianwagner!
It's Karajan's recordings of Swan Lake that i have!!
Needless to say, it's fantastic!

[eyeresist]

The ballets are definitely outstanding, but they are not the only masterpieces Tchaikovsky composed.

Tchaikovsky's four orchestral Suites are also excellent, curiously missing from most symphonic cycles (just like Brahms's two Serenades).

[starrynight]

I agree on the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, to that we can add the 1812 Overture and March Slav.  Of the later symphonies the 5th might be the most immediately likeable, but let's not forget the 3rd which is underrated and has some great melodies.  And of course the 1st Piano Concerto has great music.

[mc ukrneal]

Tchaikovsky's four orchestral Suites are also excellent, curiously missing from most symphonic cycles (just like Brahms's two Serenades).

I agree. Wonderful pieces those suites. One must also not forget the 2nd and 3rd piano concertos, which get little attention, but are very beautiful works.

[Lisztianwagner]

Tchaikovsky's four orchestral Suites are also excellent, curiously missing from most symphonic cycles (just like Brahms's two Serenades).

Absolutely; also the rest the Piano Concertos, the Violin Concerto, Evgenij Onegin and Variations on a Rococo Theme.