1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A middle-of-the-road reading, but the LSO feels alive, July 12, 2006
This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 ~ Rodzhdestvensky (Audio CD)
I've been seeking out live performances from the London Sym., but it's been confusing since the same exact recordings apapear under the labels of MCA, Carlton Classics, Regis, Pickwisk, and most recently, LSO Live. This 'Pathetique' isn't the best in the catalog by any means, but it doesn't sound canned--the LSO musicians are alive. This gives an extra suppleness to the phrasing, along with a sense that the melodies are being sung.
If that's enough for you, then you don't need to hesitate. Rozhdestvensky is an old hand, and everything proceedw without a hitch. But there's no particular originality or personal stamp, either. Since the Pathetique has enjoyed dozens of great recordings from every conductor going back to acoustic recordings in the Twenties, I can't quite see the reason to prefer this CD over those from Furtwangler, Mravinsky, Karajan, and Toscanini. On the other hand, with so many Rozhdestvensky duplicates around, you can easily get a cheap one on the used market if you happen to be a fan of the LSO.
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