Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Georg Solti (Conductor), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Georg Solti
• Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (May 10, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041Y1
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #348,157 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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

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

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

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

5. Romeo and Juliet, fantasy-overture for orchestra in B minor (3 versions)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An outgoing reading that avoids extremes, December 7, 2008

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Audio CD)

Anyone who follows Solti's recorded output knows that when it came to certain staple symphonic composers, he stopped being hard-driving and tamed his style down considerably. That mostly happens here -- don't expect fire-and-ice contrasts. The first two movements are outgoing, untroubled, and extremely well played. Solti doesn't set a Russian mood -- surprising from a Hungarian conductor -- and if you didn't know the subtitle "Pathetique," you'd be hard pressed to find the prevailing mood even melancholy.

The Scherzo gets Solti into trouble, not because he drives too hard but because it's emotionally neutral. As pure technique the build-up of the march could hardly be bettered, but who listens to Tchaikovsky for lessons in orchestral discipline? I began to wonder if Solti had any personal feelings about this music, yet the finale does touch tragedy, although there's no chance of full immersion. With so many great Tchaikovsky Sixths in the catalog, Solti's good one is worth hearing nonetheless, especially for fans of the powerhouse CSO at its zenith.

I'm a bit baffled why someone would find the 'Romeo and Juliet' performance a horse of a different color -- it has the same mild pluses and minuses as the main work. The lack of ardor is a serious drawback, though.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You have no other choices!, May 24, 2000

By 

Keio Inouye (Nagoya,Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Audio CD)

Solti's performance is so great that I made Solti & CSO to be my first choice about this symphony. Muravinsky's editoins are good, but Solti's it the best of my mind. Emotion and power are combined together!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, March 18, 2000

By 

Gilbert Hernandez (Lubbock, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Audio CD)

Sigh. It pains me to have to do this, but this is not the definitive performance of Tchaikovsky's Sixth. Where the heck is my beloved Chicago brass! Solti and his Chicago players have had a rare off-day. Now the Romeo and Juliet recording is quite good, but I don't know if it's worth the price of the whole CD, although it could be if you've got money to burn (hard to pass up any good performance of the Chicago Symphony).