Author Topic: Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony (Read 28205 times)

Rabin_Fan · « **Reply #20 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:18:43 PM »

What a small world! Are you going to the LSO Harding concerts? Maybe we can say hello there?

Rabin_Fan · « **Reply #21 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:35:24 PM »

Howard - congrats to going to the YST Cons. My contact HP 7-302 1813.

Cheng Hooi

Rabin_Fan · « **Reply #22 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:36:50 PM »

I take it Howard that you play both violin & oboe? Quite a feat if you can play both well.

hautbois · « **Reply #23 on:** April 28, 2007, 07:57:05 PM »

Thankyou! Yes i am going to both concerts with Corgan. I only play oboe but YY coached us a few sessions when a studied an oboe quartet with 3 of the string students there. Ahhh...reeds trouble me enough.

I'll give you call before the concert then. See you!

Howard

Rabin_Fan · « **Reply #24 on:** April 29, 2007, 01:20:31 AM »

OK - a friend of Corgan as well. Corgan and I have exchanged some CDs - to great enjoyment so far.

Steve · « **Reply #25 on:** April 29, 2007, 12:09:17 PM »

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on April 26, 2007, 08:19:50 AM

I am not in love with Chailly. Too much (especially during the middle of the first movement) it sounds like he is on auto-pilot. Does pack a punch in the finale though.

As to the Chailly, I couldn't agree more. He's too polished for my taste.

I would like to lend my support to the Jansons. While I have other favourites for the other Tchaikowsky Symphonies, Jansons dramatic, emotional, and deliberate style works wonders here. His command is particularily evident in the final, Allegro con fuoco. The theme is fleshed out so organically, that there is a wonderful sense of unity with the other movements. His tender approach really works wonders as movement winds down into the final few measures. Instead of the usual jarring reentry of the orchestra after its pause, this felt so incredibly natural and unforced. It really is a beautiful recording.

Solitary Wanderer · « **Reply #26 on:** June 19, 2008, 04:24:05 PM »

I've just discovered Tchaikovsky's Mannfred Symphony on the above boxset.

I have it coming up at a concert next week so I thought I'd get familiar with it.

I was expecting a 'lesser' symphony [not a numbered symphony] and was very pleasently surprised.

This symphony is a gem! Inspired by Byron's writings and Berlioz' Fantastic Symphony this music is a wonderful discovery. Beautiful storytelling brought alive through glorious sound.

Any thoughts?

jochanaan · « **Reply #27 on:** June 19, 2008, 04:39:35 PM »

Agree totally. It's big, it's dramatic, it's--well, it's Tchaikovsky at his best.

I remember the time I got a very cheap set of Tchaikovsky symphonies on LP back in the 1970s. Bad mistake! The label was Everest, the recorded sound was inferior to intolerable, and the performances deserved no better, with one exception: a rare recording of Manfred with Sir Eugene Goossens leading the London Symphony. That performance glittered and sparkled even though the sound was still intolerable. (Well, the first three symphonies were done by Hans Swarowski, a Vienna Conservatory professor whose pupils included Zubin Mehta and Claudio Abbado, and the Vienna Symphony, who at least played with humility and high craft. But the rest are better forgotten.)

On the other hand, there's a very fine 1970s Manfred with Ashkenazy leading the Philharmonia on Decca/London.

Renfield · « **Reply #28 on:** June 19, 2008, 05:57:28 PM »

I also had my first exposure to the Manfred yesterday (via Pletnev/RNO - DG), and I second the sentiment: a gem indeed!

dirkronk · « **Reply #29 on:** June 19, 2008, 06:07:23 PM »

I've read very good things about the Pletnev but haven't yet heard his. Still, several years (or is it decades now?) back I went through a pretty significant crush on Manfred. The outcome was a buying binge that left me with LP editions of Muti, Svetlanov, Markevitch and Toscanini--all of whom have great things to offer (Toscanini puts his own touches on the score apparently). I would heartily suggest listening to the first two in particular. On CD I have replicated the Markevitch and added Rozhdestvensky, but have only heard that version once, a while back. I also recently found a download of Silvestri with Philadelphia, live from the early 1960s, but haven't had a chance to listen to that one yet. Maybe it's time for me to reacquaint myself and reassess a few of these performances...

Dirk

Keemun · « **Reply #30 on:** June 20, 2008, 04:17:10 AM »

Quote from: Solitary Wanderer on June 19, 2008, 04:24:05 PM

This symphony is a gem! Inspired by Byron's writings and Berlioz' Fantastic Symphony this music is a wonderful discovery. Beautiful storytelling brought alive through glorious sound.

Any thoughts?

I entirely agree! For a while I ignorantly assumed it was a lesser symphony because it was not one of Tchaikovsky's numbered symphonies. $:-\$ I'm not sure where I got that idea; perhaps I thought it was a study symphony composed early in his career before he composed the real numbered symphonies. As it turns out, it was composed during the height of his symphonic output - between his 4th and 5th symphonies.

Hector · « **Reply #31 on:** June 20, 2008, 05:27:11 AM »

Maazel/VPO/Decca but the recording sounds its age to my ears on the edition I have.

Trouble is that many of the older versions are cut, not that that may bother some, admittedly, especially as one of them is Toscanini!

Jurowski and Jansons but I haven't heard Pletnev which I would expect to be exceptional!

karlhenning · « **Reply #32 on:** June 20, 2008, 06:55:11 AM »

Quote from: Hector on June 20, 2008, 05:27:11 AM

. . . not that that may bother some, admittedly, especially as one of them is Toscanini!

Sounds like two distinct counts of Botheration

vandermolen · « **Reply #33 on:** June 20, 2008, 07:13:24 AM »

Quote from: Don on April 21, 2007, 11:56:57 AM

I'm on the hunt for some recordings of Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony. I currently have Svetlanov, Abravanel and Jurowski. Have heard great things about the Muti, Chailly and Ashkenazy.

How about:

Toscanini (which one?)
Kletzki/Testament
Silvestri/BBC and Testament
Thomas/Sony
Jansons/Chandos
Masur/Elatus
Leppard/Koss
Goosens/Everest
Jordania/Angelok

Am I missing any names?

Goossens is excellent, with Sibelius's 'Tapiola'

Marcel · « **Reply #34 on:** October 13, 2008, 12:50:53 PM »

Hi guys ! Are you aware, there is a new recording of Tchaikovsky's Manfred by V. Petrenko (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra).

http://www.naxos.com/feature/Tchaikovsky_Manfred_Symphony_CD.asp

The performance is excellent in my opinion. One of the very best recording of the piece.

Superhorn · « **Reply #35 on:** October 14, 2008, 07:42:53 AM »

I have heard the Svetlanov, Markevitch, Previn, Muti recordings on LP and the Pletnev on CD, plus several on the radio. All have their virtues and I would not dismiss any out of hand.

The old Toscanini/NBC recording has its admirers, but be warned; it has a massive cut in the last movement.

karlhenning · « **Reply #36 on:** October 14, 2008, 10:25:55 AM »

Quote from: Superhorn on October 14, 2008, 07:42:53 AM

The old Toscanini/NBC recording has its admirers . . .

But no one we need pay any attention to, right?

Hector · « **Reply #37 on:** October 16, 2008, 05:53:26 AM »

Quote from: Marcel on October 13, 2008, 12:50:53 PM

Hi guys ! Are you aware, there is a new recording of Tchaikovsky's Manfred by V. Petrenko (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra).

http://www.naxos.com/feature/Tchaikovsky_Manfred_Symphony_CD.asp

The performance is excellent in my opinion. One of the very best recording of the piece.

Perhaps the Beeb will play it at the end of CD Review.

What the hell, it's cheap!

vandermolen · « **Reply #38 on:** October 16, 2008, 06:23:53 AM »

I like the Goossens on Everest and its interestiong coupling, Tapiola.

Drasko · « **Reply #39 on:** October 16, 2008, 07:23:51 AM »

Could any of the mods correct spelling of Tchaikovsky's name in the thread title.

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Author Topic: Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony (Read 28205 times)

Steve

Renfield

Hector

karlhenning

karlhenning

Hector

Drasko