Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Complete Suites for Orchestra

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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This 2-CD set represents the finest recording of Tchaikovsky's four orchestral suites. The performance is rich and dynamic. The Philips engineers have done a wonderful job of digitally remastering the original 1967 recordings, and the sound quality is better than most recent full digital classical music. Tchaikovsky's smaller works (his solo pianos pieces, these four orchestral suites) have always been ignored and overshadowed by his more grandiose symphonies, ballets, and piano concertos. But to those who take the time to listen, one finds exquisite melodies and arrangements here. A marvelous package at a very reasonable price. Very highly recommended.

Anyone who loves sheer beauty will appreciate these Suites. And Anyone who loves Tchaikovsky MUST have these Suites. They provide a more intimate expression of Tchaikovsky. Altogether less dramatic, but just as beautiful, imaginative and characteristic, they show how Tchaikovsky was an admirer of Sentimentality, Simple Beauty, Nostalgia, Reflection... ANY listener can enjoy these suites thoroughly, however, if you are true lover of Tchaikovksy- you will come to know him even deeper, and love these charming confections as often as you love on the grand Symphonies and Ballets.

Tchaikovsky chose to compose these suites as a break from the pressures of symphonic form, and they are just that- a break- he had FUN writing them, and it shows every bar. The first suite is grand in concept, if it is maybe immature in execution. Still, no one can deny the beauty of the weaving melodies of the melancholy Andante, the dancing gaiety of the waltz, and the humor in the little march. The second suite is quite different, with its focus on children's music, and composing specifically with certain intruments in mind. The third suite has to be his masterpiece in the genre, and each movement is a wonderful entity. The theme and variations is one huge chuck of a study and great fun to listen to- Tchaikovsky, usually a harsh self-critic was even quite proud of this mvt.himself.

Dorati's baton, with its penchant for creating lively dance music excellently suits this set. He brings to life what is dead to most people- the most intimate of Tchaikovsky, his "composed for fun" suites. Enjoy these for their wonderful beauty that seems to come with such ease.

Tchaikovsky is often considered a heart-on-sleeve Romantic, and he is. These four suites surely show him for that, but also for something more: a consummate master of his craft. Both qualities of the composer come through in the wonderful performances captured in this recording. Dorati shapes compelling interpretations, and the Philharmonia offers its usual superb playing. The Phillips engineers' work holds up very well after all these years. Here is a bargain music lovers should not pass up.

To many, Tchaikovsky is known as a composer of two types of music. First are his orchestral works like his six symphonies and numerous symphonic poems and concertos that are generally serious in tone and evoking themes ranging from traged to drama to melancholy. Second are his ballet music which are light and happy. But Tchaikovsky also composed these four orchestral suites; full-length orchestral works that are light in heart and fast in spirit. Generally unknown to all but the biggest fans of Russian classical music, they sound more in the Classical mold of Mozart and Haydn than the Russian Romance mold of Rubinstein, Glazunov, Borodin, and many of Tchaikovsky's more famous works. All four works are long, and are stand-alone pieces; not meant to accompany any visual display or stage act. All four works are also great listening. This 2-disc set is the only one I have encountered that has all four suites, and is a great buy for its price. The sound recording is also great.

Where most composers (i.e., Brahms, Mendelssohn) composed sinfonias and suites as practice in preparation for writing mature symphonies, Tchiakovsky wrote the First Suite in D Minor, op. 43, AFTER his monumental Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, op. 36, and completed all four suites (including No. 4 "Mozartiana," op. 61) before composing his Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, op. 64. So, in the suites we find a mature Tchaikovsky, taking a break from the stresses of symphonic composition and writing to his heart's content. We're treated to fugues, themes and variations, dances in Baroque form, playful solos from the orchestra, and even an accordion in Suite No. 2. This complete set of the suites, recorded in 1967 with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Antal Dorati, remains the standard of excellence for this rare Tchaikovsky. The playing is generally excellent and Dorati almost always searches for playful interpretations, with the possible exception of the fugue in the first movement of Suite No. 1, where the tempo seems a little stodgy. The analog-to-digital remastering is generally good, though a little hiss survives. The close mic-ing of that period often makes the brass sound harsh and neglects the reverberation of the concert hall. Nonetheless, this is a great set of recordings that all Tchaikovsky lovers can acquire without hesitation. And even if you're not a Tchaikovsky fan, these suites are worth a listen, as you're likely to hear a whole new side of Tchaikovsky you never imagined existed. Enjoy.

There are a few CD sets compilating the four orchestral suites by Tchaikovsky.
The best known are Svetlanov`s, Järvi`s (a pity that MTT never completed his set with the Philharmonia), and finally and of course, this one masterly performed
by Antal Dorati. The hungarian Maestro was a great Tchaikovsky performer, as we
can appreciate in his great symphony cycle for Mercury and now in this Philips album. The suites are beautifully played and scores are perfectly judged and
balanced by Dorati, who manages his baton skilfully and masterly. Sound is
relative if we compare with Järvi in Chandos, but it's still quite acceptable.
This is an essential album for every Tchaikovsky collector and so i recommend
it a lot.

Still the only performances of these works for me...Dorati at his sizzling best. The Scherzo from the Second Suite has one of Tchaikovsky's greatest original scoring touches -- as important as his inaugural use of the celesta in "The Nutcracker" years later! The Third Suite is a masterpiece, right up there with the best of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, concertos and operas.

Considering the enormous popularity of most of Tchaikovsky's orchestral works, his suites, which are attractive and characteristic, are oddly lacking in box-office appeal. Perhaps we should make a partial exception for the Mozartiana suite, but that is a different proposition from the others, consisting entirely of Mozart arrangements. The other three date from the time of his later symphonies, which makes them mature efforts. They are also, by the composer's own admission, an escape from the stress of symphonic composition. He was a born musical charmer as we all know, he turns on the charm for us here, and if we can find a good recorded set I suppose that relieves us too of the effort of trying to find live concert performances.

These performances date from as far back as 1966, but the restored sound is absolutely excellent. At that date the New Philharmonia Orchestra was in its magnificent prime, and it is a nostalgic pleasure in particular to hear the beautiful tone of its leader Hugh Bean in the third suite and the Mozartiana. I had already become familiar with the conductor Antal Dorati from a superb Rite of Spring that he did with the Minneapolis Orchestra and that was among my earliest acquisitions. He made a big impression on me with that, and over the decades since the impression has been unfailingly confirmed, in music ranging from Haydn to Karl Orff via numerous intermediate stops. One just never seems to go wrong with Dorati, and you will not go wrong with this set of his Tchaikovsky.

There is not much for a review to say, because it is all just about exactly right. The three `real Tchaikovsky' suites are all pleasant, and they get better as they go along. You will even hear a couple of accordions in the second of them, and I suppose we will never know now whether Bernard Shaw was right to be thrilled at the invention of the piano accordion, although obviously his optimistic forecasts for its use by classical composers have not come to much. The Mozartiana suite is a simple gesture of affection and respect from Tchaikovsky to the composer whom he revered above all others. I myself do not stress over issues of `authenticity', since quite clearly the only way to be fully authentic would have been to leave the music as Mozart wrote it in the first place. Tchaikovsky has orchestrated three piano pieces and also a piano arrangement by Liszt of the late Ave Verum motet. Those already familiar with Liszt`s messing around with Schubert, Verdi and doubtless others as well, will either be shocked or not at his similar effort here.

There is a liner note by the reliable John Warrack, the price is attractive, so if you like the music at all you can safely go for this set without lengthy market research.

This is delightful orchestral music : lovely melodies and original and creative orchestration. Anton Dotai and the New Philharmonia have it in their blood

Philips has done a magnificent job on the recording providing much to enjoy, but Dorati holds back too much in the Theme and Variations movement of Suite 3 creating a major letdown. If you've heard Svetlanov's recording there is simply no going back to this despite the rich warm precise sound. The Svetlanov recordings represents the worst in russian engineering with close miking creating a surreal orchestra. But what a performance! I've heard Tilson-Thomas conduct this in San Francisco to tremendous and exciting effect, but his wonderful London Symphony recording is lamentably hard to find and out of print.