Tchaikovsky Sym (box set)

[Rabin_Fan]

Among which of these box sets would you choose for sound & performance? Muti on Brilliant, Jansons on Chandos or Karajan on DG? Do give your reasons for your choice. Thanks.

[Hector]

Certainly not Karajan.

Muti if the set is a bargain. Consistently exciting he is particularly good in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th (although my memory is a bit dim on the last as this  is one work I try to avoid).

Jansons is expensive, Chandos spreading the set over more CDs than is really required but the Oslo PO, trained by Jansons, is the equal of any orchestra in the World at the time of these recordings. Highlights, for me, is the best 3rd on disc and an impressive 'Manfred.' A benchmark set.

These symphonies have done well on disc.

[Harry]

Hector dislikes Karajan, that is his right, but..........

Karajan is a extremely good set in sound and performance.
Muti is also a good choice in both respects.
Jansons, bargain price by the way, is als reccomendable, but, his tchaikovsky is somewhat detached, and a few times sluggish tempi, but I have all three, and any choice would be fine.

[jwinter]

Of those three, I'd go with Muti - cheap, excellent sound, and fiery performances.  I'd also recommend Markevitch, on 2 Phillips Duos.   I've spent most of my Tchaikovsky time recently with a set from Svetlanov from BRO -- outstanding performances, although the Soviet sound engineering ain't so hot...

[Sergeant Rock]

I'd also recommend Markevitch, on 2 Phillips Duos.

Me too...or Markevitch 1-3 on Philips, and Mravinsky 4-6 on DG.

Sarge

[Iago]

Muti for Syms #1 to #3
Monteux/Boston Symphony for Syms #4-#6 on RCA.
Toscanini/NBC for Manfred. A white hot performance 

[jwinter]

Me too...or Markevitch 1-3 on Philips, and Mravinsky 4-6 on DG.

Sarge

Agreed, I was going on the assumption that he wants them all from one conductor...

[dirkronk]

Me too...or Markevitch 1-3 on Philips, and Mravinsky 4-6 on DG.

Sarge

Succinct and sagacious advice, IMO. Mrav rules. Markevitch ain't far behind, and stirs the blood nicely.

If it MUST be one of the named three, I'd personally opt for Muti, presuming this is the former EMI set. Good interps, somewhat straightforward but pretty consistently exciting in execution. If his Manfred is included, that would be the clincher for me. Good-to-very-good sound in original analog form--no idea how the digital transfers have fared. Though I haven't heard much of the Jansons cycle, I was not suitably impressed to seek out more and thus cannot speak with any authority whatsoever. Karajan is, well, Karajan; I honestly don't recall too much from this cycle except that its sonics were somewhat clearer than some DGGs of the time, though still afflicted with the pianissimos-in-the-next-county/loud-passages-screaming-right-in-your-face syndrome; perhaps this has been fixed in the digital mix, but I'll bet I wouldn't respond any better to Herbie's interps. That's where you really have to decide for yourself. He does zilch for me in this repertoire. If I'm going to listen to a non-Russian, give me Szell (4th on Decca, 5th on CBS) or Monteux or any of several others. (Whilst I was distracted from my typing by work fires needing to be put out, I see that jwinter and Iago injected similar sentiments re Mrav, Markevitch & Monteux.)

But as I say, that's just my opinion. There are many others...and yours may be one of those.


Dirk

[Brian]

If it MUST be one of the named three, I'd personally opt for Muti, presuming this is the former EMI set. Good interps, somewhat straightforward but pretty consistently exciting in execution. If his Manfred is included, that would be the clincher for me. Good-to-very-good sound

I have the $20 Muti box from Brilliant, and can agree with all this. Muti's 1-4 are excellent indeed; his 5 is quite straightforward but generally good, but unfortunately I really cannot tolerate his Sixth. It's an easy fix though: since Muti's set is so cheap, you can easily buy another interpretation of #s 5 and 6, like the low-price two-CD set from Lovro von Matacic, which is excellent (and very exciting, a good foil to Muti's sterner ways).

[Brian]

unfortunately I really cannot tolerate his Sixth.

Okay, I just listened to his performance of the Sixth at twice the usual volume level, and must correct my earlier assertion. It's a very good performance - just a low-volume CD. Crank it up!

[BorisG]

Among which of these box sets would you choose for sound & performance? Muti on Brilliant, Jansons on Chandos or Karajan on DG? Do give your reasons for your choice. Thanks.

Of these three, Jansons's is the most even, Muti offers the best 1 to 3, Karajan offers the best 4 to 6.

[M forever]

How about this?



Or this?



I found this much better than some who apparently didn't really dig that set at all, and it is available for very little right now:





But to be honest, I don't really care much about the first three symphonies although they are rather nice pieces. But I couldn't live without this either:

[Rabin_Fan]

Hi everyone & M-Forever,

Much as I like Maazel (& I have seen him live) - he seems too cool as a conductor to me (except his DG Rimsky Korsakov's Cap. Espagnole). Pletnev is also another "cool" conductor. I prefer a more emotional response to Romantic era music. Hence, I asked about the 3 conductors' sets. 

Thanks, RF

[DarkAngel]

Of the 3 sets you mention (I have all three) I prefer the Jansons/Chandos for both performance and sound, unfortunately expensive option currently.

My favorite 1-6 set by any conductor is Dorati/Mecury

The Maazel 1-6 set is very good done when he was young with VPO, he was very passionate and dramatic in his early days. Also has a great Sibelius set done during this period also with Decca/VPO

[Rabin_Fan]

I already have the 4-6 from Mravinsky (earlier release), 5 EMI from Karajan/BPO which is better than Oslo PO/Jansons (in my opinion) and LSO/Szell in 4.

[BorisG]

I already have the 4-6 from Mravinsky (earlier release), 5 EMI from Karajan/BPO which is better than Oslo PO/Jansons (in my opinion) and LSO/Szell in 4.

Many prefer EMI Karajan Tchaikovsky symphonies over his DG. Do you know if the EMI Gemini reissue has been newly remastered? If not, an option might be Japan.

[Brian]

Much as I like Maazel (& I have seen him live) - he seems too cool as a conductor to me (except his DG Rimsky Korsakov's Cap. Espagnole). Pletnev is also another "cool" conductor. I prefer a more emotional response to Romantic era music. Hence, I asked about the 3 conductors' sets. 

Thanks, RF

Well then you need Mravinsky for 4-6, no matter whose box you buy.   

[Grazioso]

Among which of these box sets would you choose for sound & performance? Muti on Brilliant, Jansons on Chandos or Karajan on DG? Do give your reasons for your choice. Thanks.

Owning the Karajan, I can say it's adequate in performance and sound but nothing to get excited about.

[Rabin_Fan]

Brian - I have the early release of the stereo Mravinsky.

[Mark]

Owning the Karajan, I can say it's adequate in performance and sound but nothing to get excited about.

I'd say the sound at least is better than merely adequate.