Tchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies [IMPORT]

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (May 12, 2003)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 5
• Format: Import
• Label: Sony Bmg Europe
• ASIN: B00008PW4A
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,257 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Symphony No. 1 in G minor ('Winter Dreams'), Op. 13: I. Allegro tranquillo

2. Symphony No. 1 in G minor ('Winter Dreams'), Op. 13: II. Adagio cantabile ma non tanto

3. Symphony No. 1 in G minor ('Winter Dreams'), Op. 13: III. Scherzo. Allegro scherzando giocoso

4. Symphony No. 1 in G minor ('Winter Dreams'), Op. 13: IV. Finale. Andante lugubre - Allegro moderato - Allegro maestoso - Allegro vivo

5. Symphony No. 2 in C minor ('Little Russian'), Op. 17: I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo

See all 8 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Symphony No. 3 in D major ('Polish'), Op. 29: I. Introduzione. Moderato assai (Tempo di marcia funebre) - Allegro brillante

2. Symphony No. 3 in D major ('Polish'), Op. 29: II. Alla tedesca. Allegro moderato e semplice

3. Symphony No. 3 in D major ('Polish'), Op. 29: III. Andante elegiaco

4. Symphony No. 3 in D major ('Polish'), Op. 29: IV. Scherzo. Allegro vivo

5. Symphony No. 3 in D major ('Polish'), Op. 29: V. Finale. Allegro con fuoco (Tempo di Polacca)

See all 6 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: I. Andante - Allegro con anima

2. Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza

3. Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: III. Valse. Allegro moderato

4. Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64: IV. Finale. Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace

5. Slavonic March, for orchestra, Op. 31

See all 6 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Symphony No. 6 in B minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 74: I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo

2. Symphony No. 6 in B minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 74: II. Allegro con grazia

3. Symphony No. 6 in B minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 74: III. Allegro molto vivace

4. Symphony No. 6 in B minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 74: IV. Finale. Adagio lamentoso - Andante

5. Hamlet, fantasy-overture for orchestra in F minor, Op. 67

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

5CD Box set. Columbia Legends series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bernstein is strongest is Symphonies 1,4,5,and 6, October 8, 2005

By	Alan Majeska "Alan Majeska" (Bad Axe, MI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) recorded all 6 Tchaikovsky Symphonies with the New York Philharmonic for Columbia records-now Sony Classical - in the 1960s and early 1970s. Bernstein later re-recorded Symphonies 4,5,and 6 with the New York Philharmonic for Deutsche Grammophon. In this box then are Bernstein's only recordings of Tchaikovsky's first 3 symphonies.

Symphony 1 in G Minor, "Winter Dreams" fares the best of the early symphonies. Bernstein isn't afraid the play around with tempos to make a point, but he does very well and is quite convincing throughout. In short, his tempo fluctuations do not impede the flow of the music or hamper Tchaikovsky's message. Symphony 2 in C minor, "Little Russian", which uses a Ukrainian folk song as the central motif around which movement IV is built, is less successful. Bernstein is too fast through I and IV, pushing the music too hard, and making it seem all slam-bang with little of Tchaikovsky's soul. Perhaps he was having an off day when this was recorded. Symphony 3 in D Major, "Polish", and the least recorded of Tchaikovsky's 6 symphonies, is better than Symphony 2, but not as successful as Symphony 1 in Bernstein's hands. He does exaggerate slowness in the introduction to I, and the New York violins are a little scratchy in fast moving passages in the allegro of I. But there is incredible spirit throughout. The Elegy movement is very tender and yearning; the final Polacca (mt. V) very energetic and stirring in the closing hymn like coda.

Symphony 4 is the 1975 recording, considered by many to be superior to an earlier 1960 recording by Bernstein/New York (available in a separate Sony "Bernstein Century" release). The 1975 recording is less driven, and was popular on LP when I was in college in the late 1970s: one of my dorm roommates had this LP in 1978. Symphonies 5 and 6, both recorded in the early 1960s, are excellent and top notch in every way. Symphony 6 "Pathetique" is more objective, less overwrought with emotion and pathos than Bernstein's 1986 DG recording of this piece, but still filled with emotion and drama, as is Bernstein's style.

There are also the discmates: excellent "Marche Slave" "1812 Overture", "Hamlet", and "Romeo and Juliet"; and a well played but poorly recorded "Francesca da Rimini." (Bernstein's 1986 DG Francesca, disc-mate to Symphony 4, is much better recorded than the one here). So, this is a great bargain if you like Bernstein's emotional, heart on sleeve style in Tchaikovsky. It works well, and buying all these recordings in a box is a bargain, rather than separate Bernstein Royal and other CBS or Sony editions. You might consider supplementing this with the Naxos recordings of Tchaikovsky's Symphony 2 by Adrian Leaper/Polish National Radio Orchestra, and Symphony 3 by Antoni Wit/Polish National Radio Orchestra, both well balanced performances in excellent digital sound.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Most Important Tchaikovsky Symphony Cycles Ever Recorded, June 2, 2007

By	John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fans of Bernstein, Tchaikovsky and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra will find much to admire in this box set containing recordings made for CBS Masterworks during the 1960s and 1970s. Historically these are important recordings since they were among the first ever recorded in stereo of the entire Tchaikovsky symphony cycle, and were regarded as definitive accounts by many fans and critics for years. I concur with a previous reviewer who noted that Bernstein's best recorded accounts are those of the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies. I especially admire his interpretations of the last three symphonies, noting that he does a fine job in taking a more middle of the road approach by faithfully adhering to Tchaikovsky's scores without injecting an excessive amount of emotional intensity (Sadly this wasn't the case for his later Deutsche Grammophon recordings of the last three symphonies in the mid to late 1980s, recorded during live performances with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.). Without question, this set of symphony recordings demonstrate that Bernstein was a fine interpreter of Tchaikovsy's music, offering contemporary listeners yet another excellent opportunity to hear Bernstein at his peak as a great orchestral conductor.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Cycle, February 17, 2009

By	J. Rich - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Leonard Bernstein was one of the best Tchaikovsky conductors in the world. He knew how to get the best performances out of his orchestra. If you've been looking around for other symphony cycles in a budget box set, then look no further than this release from Sony.

As the title of this box set says, it collect all of Tchaikovsky's symphonies. There are also 5 other orchestral works in this box: "1812 Overture," "Romeo And Juliet," "Francesca Da Ramini," "Hamlet," and "Slavonic March." Given that these recordings were recorded in the late '50s they have been remastered and sound great.

Anyone interested in seeking out Tchaikovsky pick this box set up. You won't be sorry. His performances here with the New York Philharmonic are beyond words.