Tchaikovsky Archive
TCHAIKOVSKY: Francesca da Rimini, Symphony Nos. 5 & 6 – Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio
Three defining works by Tchaikovsky under Beecham’s baton…!
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 1; KALINNIKOV: Symphony No. 1 – Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/ Fabien Sevitzky – Pristine Audio
Another top-flight Pristine restoration, of conductor Sevitzky
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Pathetique” Symphony; Francesca da Rimini – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique”; Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio PASC 550, 72:16 [www.pristineclassical.com] ****: If memory serves, Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) made only one commercial recording of the Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor (1930), on shellac discs (RCA M […]
Preghiera — RACHMANINOV Piano Trios – Gidon Kremer, Geidre Dirvanauskaite, Daniil Trifonov – DGG
A rich tribute to the composer Rachmaninoff, his piano trios as rendered by Kremer, Trifonov, and Dirvanauskaite.
TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartet No. 1, Sextet – Meccore String Quartet – SACD MDG
Elegant and passionate Tchaikovsky chamber music from the Meccore String Quartet and gifted guests.
London Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky Nutcracker – Telarc Records, Vinyl Release
A new vinyl reissue of the 1986 Nutcracker Soundtrack is worthy of this historic ballet.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony Nos. 4, 5 – SWR Symphony Orchestra/ Hans Rosbaud – SWR
Hans Rosbaud appears before his Baden-Baden orchestra in spirited, vibrant renditions of two Tchaikovsky symphonies.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy – NBC Symphony Orchestra/ Leopold Stokowski – Pristine Audio
Leopold Stokowski leads two 1944 NBC Symphony concerts in music of Tchaikovsky, brilliantly and passionately executed.
The Music of Lucien Caillet, Vol. 2 = Works by BACH; BUXTEHUDE; VIVALDI ; DEBUSSY; RACHMANINOV; TCHAIKOVSKY; CAILLET – Pristine Audio
Both sophisticated and splashy, the transcriptions from Lucien Caillet compel some virtuoso playing from various ensembles.
Jascha Spivakovsky: Bach to Bloch, Volume 5 = Piano Concertos by MOZART, TCHAIKOVSKY – Jascha Spivakovsky, piano/ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Clarence Raybould/ Victorian Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Bernard Heinze – Pristine Audio
The fifth in the series devoted to Russian piano virtuoso Jascha Spivakovsky delivers two potent concertos from his Australian concerts.
Nikolai Sokoloff and the Cleveland Orchestra: Complete Recordings, 1924-28 – The Cleveland Orchestra. Nikolai Sokoloff – Pristine Audio
Recording and audio restoration engineer Mark Obert-Thorn has a coup in the form of the complete recordings (for the Brunswick label) of Russian-born conductor Nikolai Sokoloff (1886-1965), the first leader of the Cleveland Orchestra. Nikolai Sokoloff and the Cleveland Orchestra: Complete Recordings, 1924-28 = BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor; BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 5 […]
The Tchaikovsky Project, Volume 2 = TCHAIKOVSKY – Manfred Symphony‒ Czech Philharmonic / Semyon Bychkov ‒ Decca
Bychkov’s interpretation may be slightly cool, but it is perfectly paced, beautifully played. That equals staying power. The Tchaikovsky Project, Volume 2 = TCHAIKOVSKY – Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 ‒ Czech Philharmonic / Semyon Bychkov ‒ Decca 483 2320; 59:19 (8/25/2017) ****: The Manfred Symphony has an odd and interesting genesis. It’s plot line is […]
Furtwängler conducts Romantic Poems and Viennese Dances = Orchestral works by LISZT; WAGNER; BRAHMS; SMETANA; TCHAIKOVSKY; STRAUSS – Vienna Phil. Orch./ Berlin Phil. Orch. / Wilhelm Furtwängler – Praga Digitals
Praga Digitals restores in stunning sound Wilhelm Furtwängler’s explorations into tone-poems and orchestral works that gain his sense of Romantic ardor. Furtwängler conducts Romantic Poems and Viennese Dances = LISZT: Les Preludes; WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll; BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Op. 56a; SMETANA: The Moldau; TCHAIKOVSKY: Waltz and Finale from Serenade for Strings […]
Streams and Podcasts for 14 January 2018
Violinist Elmar Oliveira is the featured artists on this week’s Music Treasury show. Oliveira is quite the distinguished violinist, whose achievements include winning the Gold Medal at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Competition, the first (and only) American violinist to do so; also to his credit are winning the Avery Fisher Prize, again the first violinist to […]
The Young Isaac Stern = Violin Concerti by HAYDN; MENDELSSOHN; TCHAIKOVSKY – Isaac Stern, violin/ Leopold Stokowski/ Pierre Monteux/ Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio
Vintage, youthful Isaac Stern has three fine collaborations revived in this trinity of violin concertos. The Young Isaac Stern = HAYDN: Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major; MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in e minor, Op. 64; TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 – Isaac Stern, violin/ Philharmonic-Symphony of New York/ Leopold Stokowski/ Philadelphia […]
Streams and Podcasts for 10 December 2017
This week’s Music Treasury features another distinguished conductor/composer from the 1900s, Paul Kletzki. Paul Kletzki was a gifted composer early in his career, and shifted to conducting after World War II. He was particularly noted for his interpretation of Romantic music, and has over 100 recordings to his credit. This week, the show will be […]
Editorial for December, 2017
Every year, the internationally acclaimed Music@Menlo hosts a multi-week chamber music festival. The 2016 season, entitled “Russian Reflections”, features significant Russian composers—Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Scriabin among others—interspersed with pieces by European composers. The programming touches on different perspectives of the music: the ways in which Russian history is vividly reflected in its music, the parallels […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, “Pathetique” – MusicAeterna/ Teodor Currentzis – Sony
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in b minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique” – MusicAeterna/ Teodor Currentzis – Sony 88985404352, 47:00 ****: A much-touted interpretation of the Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony has musical – if not fiscal – benefits. Had my old colleague from “First Hearing,” conductor Richard Kapp, auditioned this recording of the familiar Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony, he […]
CHOPIN: “Evocations” = Piano Concertos; Rondo for 2 pianos; “Fantasie Impromptu”; Chopin-inspired works by SCHUMANN, BARBER, TCHAIKOVSKY, MOMPOU – Daniil Trifonov/ Sergei Babayan/ Mahler Chamber Orch./ Mikhail Pletnev – DGG
CHOPIN: Evocations = Piano Concerto No. 2 in f minor, Op. 21; Piano Concerto No. 1 in e minor, Op. 11; Variations on “La ci darem la mano,” Op. 2; Rondo in C Major for 2 Pianos, Op. 73; Impromptu No. 4 in c-sharp minor, Op. 66 “Fantasie-Impromptu”; SCHUMANN: “Chopin” from Carnaval, Op. 9; GRIEG: […]
Mengelberg conducts TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Overture; Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Serenade for Strings – Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam/ Willem Mengelberg – Pristine Audio
Mengelberg conducts TCHAIKOVSKY: The Complete Columbia Recordings, 1927-1930 = Romeo and Juliet – Fantasy Overture; Symphony No. 4 in f minor, Op. 36; Symphony No. 5 in e minor, Op. 64; Waltz from Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48 – Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam/ Willem Mengelberg – Pristine Audio PASC 511 (2 CDs) […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Manfred Symphony – Czech Philharmonic/ Semyon Bychkov – Decca
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony in B Minor after Byron’s “Manfred,” Op. 58 – Czech Philharmonic/ Semyon Bychkov – Decca 483 2320, 59:19 (8/25/17) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Tchaikovsky epic symphonic-poem receives a dedicated performance in this ongoing project by Semyon Bychkov. Tchaikovsky, much like Berlioz, found a poetic, kindred spirit in the work of George Gordon, Lord […]
Silvestri in Philadelphia = TCHAIKOVSKY: Manfred Symphony; BRITTEN: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra – Philadelphia Orchestra/ Constantin Silvestri – Pristine Audio
Silvestri in Philadelphia = TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony in B Minor after Byron’s Manfred, Op. 58; BRITTEN: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (after Purcell), Op. 34 – Philadelphia Orchestra/ Constantin Silvestri – Pristine Audio PASC 490, 74:37 [www.pristineclassical.com] ****: The gifted Romanian Silvestri makes colors in his debut with the great color-ensemble, Philadelphia Orchestra. Romanian conductor […]