Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture/Capriccio Italien/Romeo & Juliet (1990)

Leonard Bernstein conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at Frederic R. Mann Auditorium (now the Charles Bronfman Auditorium) in Tel Aviv.

Under the banner of the "Leonard Bernstein Edition"  this CD is a repackaging of previously released recordings. In the Maestro's own words:

The performances included on this CD carry all the Bernstein hallmarks: spirited tempo, bright timbre, exaggerated dynamics, and extremely passionate.

1. 1812 Overture, Op. 49 (recorded May 1984)
2. Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 (recorded May 1984)
3. Romeo & Juliet (recorded October 1978)

My favorite piece of these three is the Capriccio Italien, but the best performance on the disc is the 1812 Overture.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 2 'Little Russian' (2006)

Neeme Järvi conducting the Göteborgs Symfoniker, the National Orchestra of Sweden. Recorded in 2004 at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen.

I was thinking of this symphony awhile back, listened to the only other recording I have of the work, and thought I needed to expose myself to a different interpretation. I did a quick search for top recordings and found this CD recommended on several websites. I wasn't familiar with the conductor, orchestra, or even the record label, but took a chance on it anyway. In addition to the second symphony, the CD includes three of Tchaikovsky's overtures, all of which were new to me.

The symphony utilizes Ukrainian folk tunes (at the time, Ukraine was colloquially known as “Little Russia”) with whimsical titles such as "Down by Mother Volga," "Spin, O My Spinner" and "The Crane."

• Symphony No. 2 in c minor, Op.17 'Little Russian' (1879 version)
• Overture in F major (1866 version)
• Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem in D Major, Op 15 (1892 version)
• The Storm (Groza), Overture, Op. 76 (1864)

Järvi likes a lively tempo and favors a bright sound from the strings and woodwinds. Most movements of the symphony were much faster than I'd heard before. Probably a little quicker than I would take it, but I enjoy the variety. 

After a few listens, I enjoy the three overtures and I'll enjoy further exploration; hopefully there's some scores available online as everything is in the public domain. Overall, I'm glad I picked up this one.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was introduced to the Symphony No. 2 by the San Antonio Symphony back in 1989 and fell in love with it immediately. I particularly enjoy that Tchaikovsky 'broke the rules' by writing a march for the second movement instead of the typical slow, lyrical section. As a result, the entire symphony is upbeat. 

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique" (1987)

Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic. Recorded in Avery Fisher Hall, New York, August, 1986.

Tchaikovsky's final finished symphony, premiered only days before his death in 1893. Bernstein was at the tail end of his career when this CD was recorded and he liked to take unconventional approaches to the standard repertoire during that time of his life. In the case of this symphony, he takes everything very slow, bringing out the depth and emotion of the work and, in the process, makes Tchaikovsky sound a little like Mahler (another Bernstein favorite). Some listeners can't stand the slower tempi and therefore miss the beauty that Bernstein brings out in this pieces, particularly the attention paid to the inner voices. The final movement is simply stunning.

Stereo Review, October 1987

Thanks to the hard work of the archivists/librarians at the NY Philharmonic, you can follow the music along the orchestra's actual score with markings from the conductors over the years. It's a fun interactive experience. Check out the NY Phil score by clicking the photo below.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: (shared with Brahms - Symphony No. 1) In the late '80s or very early '90s, my friend Eddie and I were driving in his car listening to a cassette of this recording. I think he may have recently seen Bernstein conduct the work and told me all about that as we discussed the work in general and the interpretation in general. Even at the time I knew there weren't many young adults in their early 20's that did things like that. I picked up this CD not long after that. [note: Eddie confirms that he did indeed see Bernstein conduct the work in New York during August 1986, just before this recording was made. Eddie also recalled for me the story of meeting a drunk Bernstein backstage following the concert.]

During my freshman year in college, I took a music survey course simply titled "Music Literature." During that course, the self-important professor played the second movement of this symphony and asked the class if anyone could tell him the time signature (correct answer: 5/4). After listening, students (including myself) guessed various answers and the smug prof never gave any indication if any of our answers were correct. He turned off the recording and moved on to the next topic. Confused, my hand shot up and asked, "Well what's the right answer?" to which he replied, "Why don't you find out and tell all of us next time we meet?" That was frustrating, but I was a good boy, did what I was told and brought the answer to the next class. By handling my question in that manner, I'm sure the professor thought he was empowering me to search for my own answers. Unfortunately, all it did was discourage me from asking any more questions in his class (which might have been his goal all along). Whatever his motive, it was a horrible teaching method and, despite what he thought of himself, he was a sub-par teacher.

Previously revisited for the blog:
1812 Overture, Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker Suite (1987)
The Tempest/Der Sturm, Op. 18 & Symphony No. 2, Op. 17 (1985)

Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture, Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker Suite (1987)

NUMBERS WEEK (MARCH 14-20, 2011)

Sir Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Next July 4th, pay close attention to the music played during the fireworks. Most shows end with two patriotic pieces: Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever and, most curiously, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Granted, the 1812 Overture is indeed a patriotic piece - if you are a Russian. The piece, written in 1882, celebrates Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in 1812. However, Tchaikovsky wrote that famous cannon part at the end of the piece, ensuring that this piece will be heard at fireworks shows from now on. Now a nation of musical illiterates will think that this great work has something to do with the USA. Oh well, never let the truth get in the way of entertainment. The composer himself described the 1812 Overture as "very noisy" and "with no artistic merit in it."

You might not recognize the piece by its name, but Romeo and Juliet's main theme is often used during love scenes in movies. You've heard it before. You've heard it so much, it has become a parody of itself and is used in movies and TV shows such as Wayne's World, Scrubs, Ren and Stimpy Show, South Park, Spongebob Squarepants, Pushing Daisies, etc.

And, of course, you hear the Nutcracker Suite every December in countless ads. If Tchaikovsky were alive today, he'd be rich on his royalties (not that he was poor during his lifetime).

Stereo Review, October 1987

Tracks: This could be considered a "Tchaikovsky's Greatest Hits" CD. The Chicago Symphony is superb and Sir Georg's interpretations are spot on. The CSO is renown for its brass section, which brought its A-game to this recording session, particularly on the 1812 Overture.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I usually listen to this disc around Christmas for The Nutcracker Suite. Strange hearing that piece in March.

Tchaikovsky - The Tempest/Der Sturm, Op. 18 & Symphony No. 2, Op. 17 (1985)

Claudio Abbado conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

From 1873, The Tempest is a program piece loosely based on Shakespeare's drama of the same name. It isn't one of my favorite symphonic works because it is too fragmented for my tastes. However, there is a great similarity to Rimsky-Korsakov's work in this piece. Because of the popularity of Tchaikovsky's other works, this piece has been pushed to the fringes of the repertory. I usually skip it when I play this CD.

Composed in 1872, Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Opus 17 was given the subtitle "Little Russian" by a music critic. Little Russia was the popular name for the Ukraine and Tchaikovsky took his material for this symphony from folk songs from that area. It is my favorite Tchaikovsky piece - very melodic and the orchestration is superb. In most symphonies, there is at least one movement that I could do without, but that is definitely not the case with this work. Even though I'm partial to movements 2 & 4, all four movements are strong. This recording by the CSO is a wild ride, with fast tempi and raucous playing. Since I like the piece so much, I guess I should invest in some other interpretations.

Stereo Review, October 1985, p. 84

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this CD immediately after being introduced to the Symphony No. 2 by the San Antonio Symphony in 1989. At the time, I was working in the symphony's development office and got free tickets to the concerts. That was a great job - if only it had paid more than minimum wage.