Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Paavo Järvi (Conductor), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Paavo Järvi
• Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (October 23, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000W043VK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,334 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Tchaikovsky done marvelously, October 7, 2010

By 

Andrew R. Barnard (Leola, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (Audio CD)

I bought this CD expecting decent playing, but not anything outstanding. Well, I got outstanding playing anyway. Jarvi gives us deep, emotional music, but he has not given place to hysteria like so many Tchaikovsky conductors. (Leonard Bernstein's DDD recording with the New York Philharmonic {Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 (Pathétique)} is a great example of a "Pathetique" performance that resorts to hysteria.) Here Jarvi pulls wonderful detail and sentiment from Cincinnati, but without the slightest exaggeration. The wonderful music of Tchaikovsky speaks for itself.

Paavo Jarvi leads Cincinnati in a riveting account of the ever-popular Romeo and Juliet Overture. The "love theme" is deeply moving; Cincinnati pulls out wonderful color and detail. This is not to mention the spellbinding account of the opening music - the "Friar Lawrence theme". Especially impressive are the last closing moments. After a moving rendition of the "love theme" (in B), we are thrust into a brilliant, free-for-all conclusion.

The "Pathetique" symphony is a piece full of emotion - it's so obvious that hardly anyone needs to be told. Interpreters have a decision to make. Either the music can be exaggerated and given a high dosage of sentimentality, or the interpreter can let the music speak for itself, pulling out the melodies in a hopefully dramatic way without crossing into sentimentality. (Yes I know, the lines can get a bit fuzzy.) Jarvi has very clearly chosen the second path. The music shines with wonderful passion and melancholy, but the listener never feels that Jarvi is being aggressive. The beauty that Cincinnati pulls out of this masterpiece is stunning - especially since Cincinnati is not necessarily regarded as a top-notch orchestra. The first movement is full of an inner world of pathos, with a wonderful contrast between the dramatic, passionate moments and the melancholy, pensive ones. The second movement is dreamy and heartrending, just like it should be. The music here is possibly the greatest example of bittersweet music you'll ever find. You can never decide whether to laugh or cry. No such question is necessary in the 3rd movement. Here Jarvi will put the listener on the edge of his seat in an exhilarating performance of this brilliant march. The music is made to sound fresh and youthful. Sadness and melancholy do not appear here - never. Thanks to Jarvi's brilliant account of the 3rd movement, the beginning of the tragic 4th movement is unbelievably shocking. Jarvi's tempo is just right. It's too slow to sound casual, too fast to become monotonous. I find this performance of the masterpiece to be far more satisfying than Bernstein's performance of the same. Rather than becoming hysterical and aggressive, the listener is allowed to listen and take in the beauty of piece for himself. For me, listening to Jarvi's performance of the heartbreaking finale is simply breathtaking.

Five stars for Jarvi. This is a fantastic album that will exceed all expectations.

4.0 out of 5 stars Järvi/Cincinnati; Tchaikovsky - "Pathétique", July 27, 2010

By 

Greg Weaver "the audio analyst©" (South Bend, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (Audio CD)

This is a breathtaking recording (listen to the solo Bassoon in the first movement, where, when called for by the score, you can hear an unbelievably soft and quiet 7 point piano - i.e., ppppppp!!!) of a wonderful performance.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice update on Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" symphony, October 23, 2007

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (Audio CD)

Paavo Jarvi became the Cincinnati Symphony's Music Director in September, 2001, and since then the CSO has released 2 albums a year, pretty much like clockwork (one in the Spring, one on the Fall). This is the 12th album since then.

On this album (67 min.), the CSO and Maestro Paavo Jarvi release an all-Tchaikovsky album. First up is the "Romeo and Juliet" Ouverture, a 20 min. musical journey that is as rich and warm as anything that the CSO has released, and a great "appetizer" for what follows, namely Tchaikovsly's Symphony No. 6 {"Pathetique"), one of my all-time favorite symphonies (more on that later). Paavo Jarvi brings out the very best in his orchestra on this one, check out for example the waltz-like second movement, which is richly layered and just breathes out on you. Separate from the music, the album comes with excellent liner notes (I won't spoil the surprise, but the empetus behind Tchaikovsky's composing "Romeo and Juliet" makes for very interesting reading...).

As mentioned, "Pathetique" is one of my favorite symphonies. In fact, I had it already in my collection, a 1987 recording by the Cleveland Ochestra conducted by Christoph Von Dohnanyi. I played this version after listening to the new Cincinnati Symphony recording, and I couldn't help thinking how much clearer and warmer this new CD sounds as comparted to the 1987 recording. I am not necessarily suggesting that the CSO's version is that much better, but a 20 year difference in recording technology makes it obvious to me that the new CSO recording is the one to have, given a choice. Paavo Jarvi continues to take the CSO to new heights and this latest CD is just another example and confirmation of it. Highly recommended!