Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (The Royal Edition, No. 89 of 100)

5 star:		(5)
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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
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Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies are somewhat under-rated; though why-I do not know: they are full of power, personality and Tchaikovsky's never-ending fund of melody. The music is also very Russian in the use of folk elements, thematic material and that sad suffering soul quality that permeates Russian art. Bernstein does a great job in unlocking the flavor on these first two symphonies: #1 "Winter Dreams" (indeed evoking the long, cold, snowy expanses of Russia; and #2 "Little Russian" which is a kind of symphonic tribute to the homeland (the opening of the forth movement sounds a bit like a main theme from the 1812 Overture).

Comparison: Karajan/BPO

I just rediscovered these aver 25 years.

The sound is very intimate with lots of detail. You can really hear them making them music. Violins are a bit harsh at times, but lower strings are detailed and transparent. Excellent solo wind playing and exciting performances.

Worth a try, especially if these Symphonies are new to you.

For years I had assumed that these recordings of the Tchaikovsky First Sym. (from 1970) and his Second (from 1967) were done out of duty, presumably to satisfy columbia Records desire for a complete Tchaikovsky symphony cycle from one of the star conductors. And since the recording venue, Avery Fisher Hall, has such bad acoustics, I also assumed that the sound would be dry and shallow. On both counts I was wrong.

These are scintillating readings, full of buoyancy and Bernstein's natural exuberance. They don't veer into the balletic pastel tones that color tilson Thomas in Sym. #1 -- although his Boston recording on DG is one of his best -- nor are they exaggeratedly emotional, as tended to happen with late Bernstein. He keeps to balance and proportion while at the same time never letting a single rhythm go slack. Given that both works are repetitious, it's a rare performance that keeps a listener attention in every bar, but Bernstein manages to. Moreover, the sound is excellent -- a bit distant at times but wide-ranging, dynamic, and natural. In short, a winner on all counts.

After reading many of the customer reviews of the Bernstein recordings of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, nearly all of which sharply contrast with the Amazon reviewers', one is sorely tempted to think that perhaps some people simply "have it in" for Bernstein's Tchaikovsky, and are determined to dislike it no matter what. The performances on this album of Tchaikovsky's two earliest symphonies are as fine as any other good recording of these melodic, but not great works. Bernstein puts all his energy into these performances, and he very nearly convinces you that they are every bit as good as Tchaikovsky's 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies.

Most performances of these works are nothing more than idle curiosities, as if the conductor were merely trying out a novelty, but Bernstein actually seems to take this music seriously, even though it does not contain even half of the genuine feeling that Tchaikovsky would put into his greatest works, including his last three symphonies, not to mention his concertos and ballets. The sound and orchestral playing are quite excellent; Sony's remastering makes it difficult to believe that these pieces were recorded more than thirty years ago. Perhaps it isn't 2002 stereo, but so what?

If there was any conductor that can fully bring out Tchaikovsky's romanticism, it was Leonard Bernstein, and we should be glad that he saw fit to record all of his symphonies at a time when recordings of all six of these works were still a rarity.

The "Winterdaydreams" is my fav symphony and Bernstein is doing fine. However, the recording with the Oslo Philarmonic Orchestra is still my no 1 choise. I feel that Bernstein is not as engaged as usual here and that No. 1 is not his fav T symphony.

Fans of Tchaikovsky's music should feel grateful that Bernstein never re-recorded the three early symphonies. One need only consider what the much-vaunted musician did to eviscerate #4-6 on DG in the waning years of the conductor's life. The interpretations of these two symphonies is simply untenable. They suffer from some strange observations in tempo and some unusually raggedly playing from the resident artists of Avery Fisher Hall. The strings, in particular, seem to be laboring under an insufficient amount of rehearsal time. The most effective portions of both symphonies are the slow, lyrical sections...the Land of Desolation, Land of Mists movement in #1 and the Andantino Marziale, Quasi Moderato in #2. Other than that 20 minutes or so of music, this CD is a considered failure. The best recordings of this duo are both currently out of the catalogue, but will hopefully be re-released to a public hungry for an outstanding "Winter Daydreams" and "Little Russian." The benchmarks are #1...Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston Symphony (recorded in early 1970 shortly after his concert debut with the same orchestra) on DG and #2...Andre Previn and the London Symphony on RCA (recorded in 1966) with a filler of Liadov's Eight Russian Folk Songs. The most critical problem with this Bernstein CD is that the sound is murky and unfocused. It sounds as though the sessions were done under the East River. It makes one feel as though no one were paying attention during the playbacks.

This CD is a split decision in my view -- half typical Bernstein, half very unBernstein. Tchaikovsky's "Winter Dreams" symphony gets a sympathetic echt-Bernstein reading, which is to say powerfully done, emotionally involved with some excess. The "Little Russian" symphony is very unlike Bernstein -- fast, uninvolved, unfussy. Even boring. I found myself enjoying the 1st symphony more each time I heard it, allowing myself to get used to Lenny's heaving excesses. That 2nd symphony, however...I wonder if that was really Bernstein that recorded this? Maybe Lorin Maazel snuck in and dressed up like Lennie for that session. Irregardless of the verdict on this, the sound on this CD is very impressive and plays into Bernstein's excess very well. Fans of the maestro will probably like this. Fans of Tchaikovsky will probably like the first symphony, the second less so.

Bernstein's recordings of Tchaikovsky's two earliest symphonies are, for the most part, forgettable. Bernstein plays them as if he were just going through the motions. The balance is off on both (much of it spoiled by an overbearing tuba that smothers the rest of the orchestra), and the New York Philharmonic lacks an energy and edge to their playing that these two works deserve. The 1st and 2nd symphonies, while not as popular as the better crafted 4th, 5th, and 6th symphonies, still offer a great deal of wonderful music. Despite this though, Bernstein's performances sound like he had no interest in making anything of them, something that is all too apparant throughout this CD.