Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies

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In 1984, the Oslo Philharmonic recorded (on their own time and without fee) the Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony. The gurus of the music world chortled, saying "Who wants another recording of that old war horse?" For a while it seemed that they were right, as record label after record label refused to release it. However, just as hope was diminishing, Brian Couzens, the founder and chief recording producer of Chandos Records was so convinced of its merits that he not only offered to release it, but put Mariss Jansons and the OPO under contract to record the whole cycle. The rest as they say, is history. This symphony cycle is rightly regarded as one of the best ever recorded, both in terms of performance and sound. Each of the symphonies has something to offer the listener. There is not one bad recording in the set. All show Mariss Jansons's tremendous ability to choose correct tempi and to allow just the right amount of excitment without letting the performance get out of control. I personally think the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in this cycle are arguably the best ever recorded. The fourth has a taste of the manic energy necessary to that particular work (listen to the finale); the Fifth has a sense of inevitablity to it that feels just right, and the Sixth has the right amount of pathos and warmth of feeling without getting syrupy. Orchestral performances are superb on all three. Likewise with the first three symphonies. The First has a dreamy-like quality so appropriate to the sub-title "Winter Daydreams" (listen to the second movement), while the Second is full of vim and vigor. The Third Symphony is in my view, the weakest of the lot, but Jansons, with his penchant for clarity, well judged tempi and controlled excitement manages to convince even me. Manfred is also well played and conducted, though I could use more repose in the inner movements. The Cappricio Italien is a first rate filler and is well played. Kudos to both Mariss Jansons for his excellent insights into the music of Tchaikovsky, and to the Oslo Philharmonic for their dedication and skill. Let me not forget Brian Couzens, whose initial enthusiasm made the project possible and to the Chandos Recording Team and the late James Burnett for their superlative work in preserving these performances on tape.

A musician friend of mine once said that eventually everyone "gets" Tchaikovsky. I didn't know what she meant by that: "gets" in the sense that eventually everyone "gets" a cold, or "gets" in the sense of "understands"? On the surface the question seems laughable: how can anyone not understand Tchaikovsky? He was the man who wrote emotionally overblown music with the gorgeous melodies we berate ourselves for liking. But, as these performances show, he was so much more...and a good deal less: a fine symphonist (maybe not of the very front rank, but fine nonetheless) who could write emotionally honest, intellectually stimulating works whose seeming histrionics may be more the doing of the music's interpreters than of the music itself. What sets these performances apart from countless others are a sense of emotional "cleanliness" with no sacrifice of genuine, barn-storming excitement.

A few notes on the numbered symphonies (I have never been an admirer of Manfred or the Capriccio Italien and so will withhold comment):

No. 1. Superb; a magnificent introduction to the cycle. Jansons' performance has all the delicate poetry and high drama one could want but shows the piece to be structurally more sound than critics have been able to notice for as long as it's been written about.

No. 2. To my ears, the first movement of this finest of Tchaikovsky's early symphonies is the only disappointment in the cycle: it simply lacks the requisite sense of tension. The middle movements (especially the second), however, are superb, and the finale again combines strength and poetry in just the right degree.

No. 3. Thrilling and irresistable, my favorite of the canonic six (and the symphony generally believed to be Tchaikovsky's weakest) literally lifted me out of my seat. Jansons' performance highlights the work's affinities to the baroque suite with a faster-than-usual second movement. The third movement has never sounded so deeply moving.

No. 4. Perhaps a tad more straightforward in the first two movements than I would like, this is, still, probably Tchaikovsky's symphonic masterpiece and here sounds it in every bar. The finale's coda generates enormous excitement without sounding hysterical; quite a feat!

No. 5. A now-legendary performance, this one just seems absolutely "right" in all its particulars: dark and brooding in the first movement, simple and touching in the second and third, and joyous in the finale where Jansons somehow manages to cap everything that came before it and make the piece an organic whole.

No. 6. Until I heard this interpretation, I'd never understood the Pathetique (and I began by writing a term paper on it in college): it's not a piece about loss or suffering, but emotional numbness. The closing bars in this performance left a chill that I absolutely could not forget. A major statement.

Throughout the sound is excellent and the orchestra plays incredibly well (the wide vibrato in the horns even bringing a Slavic flavor). You might not "get" Tchaikovsky, but you should certainly consider getting this set.

This terrific box set of Tchaikovsky's complete symphonies (1-6) put conductor Mariss Jansons on the map. They are brilliant interpretations that are completely different from the older renditions by Karajan, Bernstein, Dutoit, and other conductors. This is the newest version on digital sound technology. Mariss Jansons is still an active conductor in Europe, and I dare say is a modern day Herbert Von Karajan. His eminence as a conductor has been proven time and again through his work with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic and various other European orchestras. He is a con
The problem with the music of Peter Tchaikovsky is not in the music itself but in the interpretations of it by various conductors over the years. It is by neglecting the true intent of Tchaikovsky's original scores, that most people come to associate Tchaikovsky's music as overly sentimental, sickly, sweetly romantic (Romeo and Juliet Overture for example and his ballets)and emotionally overblown. But the truth is that Tchaikovsky was in the same league as his Romantic predecessors Beethoven, Berlioz and even Wagner. His music was deeply influenced by Romantic European composers outside of Russia. Yet he suffused his music with folk themes from his native Russia and did not lose the fiery intensity and fierceness of Russian music. The symphonies never sounded better. No. 1-3 are the work of a still budding symphonist, with a plethora of folk melody and lilting tones. He matured as a symphonic composer starting with his 4th, which he always claimed was music in homage to his patroness the Countess Van Meck who had finished supporting him financially about this time. The music is brooding but radiant and cheerful, especially the finale. The 5th is music that is entirely triumphant and bursting with Mendelssohn-style energy. Surely Tchaikovsky had a good year that year. But his final symphony, the 6th, was also his Requiem. It was the last thing he ever composed. He died of poisoning (some claim it was forced suicide by his homophobic and outraged peers). Tchaikovsky was rumored to have had an affair with a member of the nobility and this caused a scandal that lead to his death. The 6th is a long work of anguish, despair and turmoil. The music is harsh, the progression of music is like the progress of some fatal disease. It is brutal, fatalistic music that not even Wagner could have endured. The music quiets down at the end and takes a final breath, before fading away into nothing. It is powerfully moving and tragic. I highly recommend this set as it is the finest versions in our current time. The only past conductor that performed Tchaikovsky's symphonies with justice was Antal Dorati. Look for all his Tchaikovsky recordings and you will not regret it.

For those seeking the definitive recording of the Tchaikovsky cycle, look no further. Jansons brings us something fresh and new, a new spark into the classics and absolutely breathtaking masterworks that are Tchaikovsky's mature symphonies. I tend to think Jansons learned quite a bit from Mravinsky about Tchaikovsky interpretation, and though at the same time that the interpretations are similar in many regards, Jansons most apparently has a gift for presenting old ideas in new ways.

Although the last three symphonies are perhaps some of the best recorded, the earlier three do not stand at the same level. The differences between the first and second three are subtle, though noticable. They lack the finesse, the pathos, and frankly the more Tchaikovsky-en nuances. Not to say these recordings are bad, but they are simply outshined by the other three.

I've never cared for the Manfred, never understood it. Jansons and the Oslo Phil nevertheless provide us with a decent, though not entirely fantastic, rendition.

A powerful set altogether, a staple for the Tchaikovsky fans out there.

Mariss Jansons isn't one of my favorite conductors and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra are far from one of the top orchestras, but this set of Tchaikovsky symphonies puts away all doubts I have had about Jansons and the OPO.

These are clean-cut, clear-headed performances. I view Jansons, in this particular cycle anyway, much like I view Riccardo Chailly. Chailly is outstanding in conducting with consistency and this is exactly what I would call this Jansons set: consistent. These may not be the most emotional performances you've heard (Bernstein comes to mind as does Temirkanov), but what I hear is one great performance after another without the emotional excess that plagues many recordings.

We can talk about the individual performances, which, for me, "Symphony No. 3," "Symphony No. 4," and "Manfred Symphony" get very special readings, but as a whole this entire cycle is great from start to finish, which can't be said of many complete cycles.

If you're looking for a solid Tchaikovsky symphony box set, then look no further than Mariss Jansons' recordings. After all, these are the recordings that put him on the musical map and I can certainly hear why.

I was never a fan of Tchaikovsky...but when I heard the opening movements of the 6th Symph...by Oslo SO with I was totally hooked.
Out of print...but if you can find it used, I would whole heartedly recommend this recording. Satisfying in every way.

Great and wonderful music that is put into this great collection. The beautiful music of Tchavoisky in this CD set is wonderful, beautiful music from the classical era. I would definately recommend this to music lovers, classical music lovers, or anyone!