Tchaikovsky Archive

TCHAIKOVSKY: “Pathetique” Symphony; Francesca da Rimini – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio 

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 […]

Nikolai Sokoloff and the Cleveland Orchestra: Complete Recordings, 1924-28 – The Cleveland Orchestra. Nikolai Sokoloff – Pristine Audio

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 

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 

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

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

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

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

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, “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 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: 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: 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: 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 […]