Document

  1993
    May 1993
        Orchestral
                Tchaikovsky Symphonies. Romeo and Juliet. Capriccio italien.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathetique", Op. 74. Romeo and Juliet— fantasy overture. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Litton.

Virgin Classics (Full price) (CD) VC7 59239-2 (67 minutes: DDD).

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathetique", Op. 74. Romeo and Juliet—fantasy overture. Montreal Symphony Orchestra / Charles Dutoit.

Decca (Full price) (Cassette) 430 507-4DH; (CD) 430 507-2DH (67 minutes: DDD).

Tchaikovsky [Symphony] Symphonies—No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36; No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64; No. 6 in B minor, "Pathetique", Op. 74. St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra / Yuri Temirkanov.

RCA Victor Red Seal (Full price) (CD) 09026 61377-2 (two discs: 145 minutes: DDD).

Tchaikovsky [Symphony] Symphonies—No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36^a ; No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64^b ; No. 6 in B minor, "Pathetique", Op. 74^c. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Herbert von Karajan.

DG (Full price) (CD) 435 356-2GH2 (two discs: 137 minutes: DDD). Item marked ^a from 415 348-2GH (10/85), ^b 415 094-2GH (7/85), ^c 415 095-2GH (7/85).

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. Romeo and Juliet—fantasy overture. Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner.

Capriccio (Full price) (CD) 10 401 (65 minutes: DDD).

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3 in D, "Polish", Op. 29. Capriccio italien, Op. 45. Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner.

Capriccio (Full price) (CD) 10 402 (63 minutes: DDD).

Tchaikovsky [Symphony] Symphonies—No. 2 in C minor, "Little Russian", Op. 17; No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Adrian Leaper.

Naxos (Super budget price) (CD) 8 550488 (79 minutes: DDD).

Symphony No. 6—selected comparison:

Russian Nat Orch, Pletnev (1/92) VC7 91487-2

Following the earlier discs in Andrew Litton's Tchaikovsky cycle for Virgin Classics, we had from the same company what by any standards was an exceptional version of the Pathetique Symphony, vibrantly Russian, recorded in the Concert Halls, Blackheath with Mikhail Pletnev conducting the Russian National Orchestra. It must have caused some apprehension all round, both before and after EMI's acquisition of Virgin, to have to follow that up so soon with another version, even from the now well-tried team of Litton and the Bournemouth orchestra. Happily lightning has managed to strike twice, for here again is an outstanding performance, full of temperament, not just fiery but tender too, which is arguably the finest of the whole Litton cycle, and certainly a splendid culmination. Not only that, it gains in practical terms even over the Pletnev disc when it has a far more generous coupling in the Romeo and Juliet Overture, and the sound is fuller and more sharply focused. It was my only reservation over the Pletnev that the distancing of sound took the last edge off an electrifying experience.

The quality of the Litton disc comes out the more tellingly in the direct comparison with the new Dutoit version. The Montreal sound, as ever, is gloriously rich and resonant, with more body in the string-tone, but rather as in his earlier version of the Tchaikovsky Fifth (7/90) Dutoit's reading, warmly expressive, lacks the final bite of tension which in Tchaikovsky is such an essential ingredient. The weight of sound is some compensation, but next to the volatility of Litton, leading on convincingly from tense excitement to yearning tenderness, Dutoit leaves you feeling that the performance is too well-controlled, not daring enough. It is the same with the Overture.

What pleases me greatly with Litton in the symphony is that he has turned away from the tendency to take the third movement march very fast, while keeping a steady tempo through the big fortissimo statements of the march theme. Though that is an approach I enjoy, it can easily sound brutal, and it is good here to have an extra swagger as the theme comes in, thanks to the marginally broader basic speed, and the fractional easing up to the moment of entry, making it very exciting indeed. Litton's treatment of the work's great melodies, the second subjects of the first and last movements, brings very careful moulding at broad speeds, which might have sounded self-conscious but for the pure beauty of the playing and the context of a performance in which tension so naturally ebbs and flows.

When it comes to self-conscious phrasing and obtrusive exaggeration, Temirkanov is regularly guilty in his two-disc RCA set with the St Petersburg Philharmonic. His obvious sympathy for the composer—inspirational, volatile—might still have compelled one to accept such willfulness, but the playing of the St Petersburg Philharmonic is disappointing, relatively slack and as recorded rather dull-toned, with the distinctive Russian instrumental wind-timbres obtrusive rather than attractive, with thin string-tone and with very boomy timpani too often overlaying the rest. Speeds are often extreme, but these are performances which feel like studio run-throughs by players too well-acquainted with the interpretations, lacking genuine excitement.

The Karajan set, offering his final statements on the Tchaikovsky symphonies, with the Vienna Philharmonic not his own Berlin orchestra, is more recommendable, but hardly a match for his earlier Berlin/DG versions of various vintages, all reissued on CD at lower prices than this full-price set, in which the digital sound brings little advantages. With these Vienna performances, it is surprising how much less crisp the ensemble is than with any of the Berlin versions.

The impression of listening to studio run-throughs is not avoided in the discs from Sir Neville Marriner and Adrian Leaper. To have a very generous coupling of Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 from Naxos in the super-budget category makes his disc an obvious bargain, particularly when the playing of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Katowice, very well-recorded, is full-bodied, with generally crisp ensemble. These are comfortable rather than exciting performances, with some excellent woodwind solos, but what is missing through most of the disc comes out very clearly by contrast when you reach the finale of the Fourth, and the performance suddenly acquires a biting electricity, significantly different and which jolts you up from the rest.

Under Marriner the St Martin's Academy is a degree more refined than the Polish orchestra in No. 4, and the recorded sound is first-rate, but there the relative lack of tension and excitement justifies only a very modified recommendation for a full-price issue, particularly when the Romeo and Juliet fill-up is even more lacking in bite. Preferable is Marriner's version of the Polish Symphony, No. 3, with the three middle movements all beautifully done at speeds rather broader than usual. The string melody in the central Andante elegiaco is so opulent it sounds like Elgar. But then as in No. 4 the outer movements are too comfortable, well-played but not involving enough, with the broadening for the grand patriotic theme at the end of the finale failing to disguise the vulgarity. Such treatment demands a more uninhibited manner if it is to be convincing, as it is with Jansons on his Chandos version. Marriner's coupling of the Capriccio italien is apt enough, but Litton's Virgin version includes both that and the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin.

EG



		Following the earlier discs in Andrew Litton's Tchaikovsky cycle for Virgin Classics, we had from the same company what by any standards was an exceptional version of the Pathetique Symphony, vibrantly Russian, recorded in the Concert Halls, Blackheath with Mikhail Pletnev conducting the Russian National Orchestra. It must have caused some apprehension all round, both before and after EMI's acquisition of Virgin, to have to follow that up so soon with another version, even from the now well-tried team of Litton and the Bournemouth orchestra. Happily lightning has managed to strike twice, for here again is an outstanding performance, full of temperament, not just fiery but tender too, which is arguably the finest of the whole Litton cycle, and certainly a splendid culmination. Not only that, it gains in practical terms even over the Pletnev disc when it has a far more generous coupling in the Romeo and Juliet Overture, and the sound is fuller and more sharply focused. It was my only reservation over the Pletnev that the distancing of sound took the last edge off an electrifying experience.



		The quality of the Litton disc comes out the more tellingly in the direct comparison with the new Dutoit version. The Montreal sound, as ever, is gloriously rich and resonant, with more body in the string-tone, but rather as in his earlier version of the Tchaikovsky Fifth (7/90) Dutoit's reading, warmly expressive, lacks the final bite of tension which in Tchaikovsky is such an essential ingredient. The weight of sound is some compensation, but next to the volatility of Litton, leading on convincingly from tense excitement to yearning tenderness, Dutoit leaves you feeling that the performance is too well-controlled, not daring enough. It is the same with the Overture.



		What pleases me greatly with Litton in the symphony is that he has turned away from the tendency to take the third movement march very fast, while keeping a steady tempo through the big fortissimo statements of the march theme. Though that is an approach I enjoy, it can easily sound brutal, and it is good here to have an extra swagger as the theme comes in, thanks to the marginally broader basic speed, and the fractional easing up to the moment of entry, making it very exciting indeed. Litton's treatment of the work's great melodies, the second subjects of the first and last movements, brings very careful moulding at broad speeds, which might have sounded self-conscious but for the pure beauty of the playing and the context of a performance in which tension so naturally ebbs and flows.



		When it comes to self-conscious phrasing and obtrusive exaggeration, Temirkanov is regularly guilty in his two-disc RCA set with the St Petersburg Philharmonic. His obvious sympathy for the composer—inspirational, volatile—might still have compelled one to accept such willfulness, but the playing of the St Petersburg Philharmonic is disappointing, relatively slack and as recorded rather dull-toned, with the distinctive Russian instrumental wind-timbres obtrusive rather than attractive, with thin string-tone and with very boomy timpani too often overlaying the rest. Speeds are often extreme, but these are performances which feel like studio run-throughs by players too well-acquainted with the interpretations, lacking genuine excitement.



		The Karajan set, offering his final statements on the Tchaikovsky symphonies, with the Vienna Philharmonic not his own Berlin orchestra, is more recommendable, but hardly a match for his earlier Berlin/DG versions of various vintages, all reissued on CD at lower prices than this full-price set, in which the digital sound brings little advantages. With these Vienna performances, it is surprising how much less crisp the ensemble is than with any of the Berlin versions.



		The impression of listening to studio run-throughs is not avoided in the discs from Sir Neville Marriner and Adrian Leaper. To have a very generous coupling of Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 from Naxos in the super-budget category makes his disc an obvious bargain, particularly when the playing of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Katowice, very well-recorded, is full-bodied, with generally crisp ensemble. These are comfortable rather than exciting performances, with some excellent woodwind solos, but what is missing through most of the disc comes out very clearly by contrast when you reach the finale of the Fourth, and the performance suddenly acquires a biting electricity, significantly different and which jolts you up from the rest.



		Under Marriner the St Martin's Academy is a degree more refined than the Polish orchestra in No. 4, and the recorded sound is first-rate, but there the relative lack of tension and excitement justifies only a very modified recommendation for a full-price issue, particularly when the Romeo and Juliet fill-up is even more lacking in bite. Preferable is Marriner's version of the Polish Symphony, No. 3, with the three middle movements all beautifully done at speeds rather broader than usual. The string melody in the central Andante elegiaco is so opulent it sounds like Elgar. But then as in No. 4 the outer movements are too comfortable, well-played but not involving enough, with the broadening for the grand patriotic theme at the end of the finale failing to disguise the vulgarity. Such treatment demands a more uninhibited manner if it is to be convincing, as it is with Jansons on his Chandos version. Marriner's coupling of the Capriccio italien is apt enough, but Litton's Virgin version includes both that and the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin.