Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 Pathetique / Capriccio Italien / Waltz and Polonaise from Eugene Onegin

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This recording is simply a marvel. Ormandy conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra with incredible pathos. The concept is hugely romantic, the melodies and passion really come through. But there is more to this performance than emotional accents; Ormandy keeps a Bach-like eye for the big structure of the symphony. Each section is beautifully molded, equally the lilting balletic movement next to the big fanfare of the 3rd movement. The last movement is pathetic but with a grandeur and integrity that is heart wrenching.

The sound is good for a 1960 recording. The fillers are also excellently played.

I already had one other set of Tchaikovsky's last three symphonies before, but then, I got hooked on Eugene Ormandy's recordings, especially the 5th and the "Pathetique." Before I got this CD, I had only played this symphony occasionally. But now, I have a performance that has intrigued me. There's just something about this CD that makes me want to listen to it over and over again. Maybe it's the excellent Philadelphia string section (a hallmark of the Ormandy years). Maybe it's the anxiety of owning a new CD. Or maybe it's the good feelings I get after listening to anything by Tchaikovsky. Certainly, those snobs who dislike Tchaikovsky will probably hate Ormandy after hearing this performance. Ah, who cares?

Certainly, any tape hiss may be present, as is the case with any classic recording, but after a few minutes, you won't even notice because you'll be captivated by this performance. Also, the Capriccio Italien and the two selections from Eugene Onegin make nice fillers on this CD, priced under $10. A steal.

I obtained this CD recently and listened, for the first time, to the much-praised performance of the "Pathétique", recorded at the Broadwood Hotel, Philadelphia on one day in 1960. Perhaps the best recommendation that I can give is to report that I immediately wanted to play it all over again. Anyone reading this will know that recordings of the "Pathétique" do not usually produce this effect. The usual 45 minutes of gooey sentimentality mixed with hysteria can leave the listener exhausted. Not so with this performance! There is drama aplenty, especially in the middle section of the first movement, and excitement in the march movement, but overall there is steadiness and control. The music is left to speak for itself. The orchestra plays with perfect ensemble, and the recording quality is excellent. The symphony is coupled with other Tchaikovky items, recorded in the mid-1960s, providing 75 minutes of great value.

Most listeners are aware that Ormandy recorded Tchaikovsky's 6th "Pathetique" Symphony at least 4 times in his career: in the late 1930s shortly after becoming Music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, now available on a Biddulph release available in England; this recording, ca. 1960, for Columbia; in 1969 for RCA; and in 1981 for Delos. This is without a doubt the best recording of this work Ormandy made. The early stereo sound is superior to the 1981 Delos, and not at all inferior to RCA's. And, Ormandy, a seasoned conductor in his early 60s when this was made, had faster tempos and more excitement than in the later recordings. He had the experience of 30+ years on the podium, applied in this recording.

For the asking budget price, this disc is a real steal. Ormandy's "Pathetique" is not overwrought with emotion or extremes: it is moderate, and Tchaikovsky's voice speaks for itself in a natural way. The Philadelphia strings really sing, serving the music beautifully. And, you also get a great "Capriccio Italien" and excerpts from "Eugen Onegin" as discmates. You cannot go wrong!

This recording by Eugene Ormandy of Tchaikovsky's 6th, in my opinion, is inferior only to Furtwangler's great one from 1938. While the two conductors do it in vastly differing styles, they both get their point across quite effectively. The Philadelphia strings are, as always, beyond reproach and the sound is fine for the era.

I own the original vinyl disc recording of this release, and it is one of the finest recordings of romantic era orchestral repertoire I have ever heard. Others that I would place in this category are Szell's recording of the Schubert Unfinished Symphony and Solti's recording of the Carmen opera. Ormady's taste in all areas of interpretation is superb. The lyricism is magnificent, and the tragic climaxes are shattering. I have not heard the CD re-release of Ormandy's Pathetique. Sometimes the dynamics on CD's are compressed to the detriment of the recording, making the vinyl LP superior. But the original Ormandy vinyl LP recording of the Pathetique on Sony was sublime.

I hate to be the one to say it of this beloved recording of the Pathetique Symphony, but this is not a great interpretation. I say that because there's no "interpreting" there. Ormandy and the Philly Boys play the notes, as written. There are no surprises, and the whole thing is honestly undercooked, especially in the Allegro vivo section of the first movement. There, where Tchaikovsky's score asks for fffs and even ffffs, the forces here deliver little more than fs. (In another section, just before the great outburst, the final clarinet solo ends in ppppp on the printed page!) Tempi are middle of the road, accents are minimized, attacks are sumptuous and rounded. As I said, just what you expect from the names on the cover. Phillyites went to Friday afternoon matinees for decades expecting exactly this sound, and they got it for 44 years. (They lost it suddenly when Maestro Muti stepped into Ormandy's shoes and uttered the foretelling comment, "The Philadelphia Sound? It's just a publicity gimmick, isn't it?")

What makes this recording work so well, and it does feel good the way an old shoe feels good, is the glorious patina of the Philadelphia Orchestra. By the time they got around to this recording all Ormandy had to do was stand there with his arms folded across his chest and they would play exactly the way he wanted. The strings are rich and thick like mousse, so precise that 60 or so of them play as one, without the slightest slip of intonation. The winds are equally tight, and sound pretty good if you can get past Gigliotti's hollow clarinet. The tympani is plumy and perfectly balanced--never obtrusive but always audible and supportive. The brass--always Philly's weakest spot--form a gorgeous choir. Yet for all the "thick" sound, the counterpoint is surprisingly clear. (Right now I'm listening to Lenny's [in]famous 1987 go with the NYPO for contrast, and although the latter is a DDD CD, Philadelphia's fussy 1960 analogue recording actually yields more insight into the texture of the score.) The Philadelphia, while not exactly an electrifying orchestra during Ormandy's reign, was definitely a well-oiled machine.

Or a gorgeous classic painting with a beautiful, rich patina. That's what you get in this CD. No deep insights into Tchaikovsky--did he or didn't he?--and no deconstructionist reexamination of the score (that would have to wait for Bernstein) but an orchestra playing high Romanticism in the finest Old World tradition--at the corner of Broad and Locust Streets in an old east coast factory town. A great look at a way Tchaikovsky used to be performed, and is not performed today.