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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 - Janácek: Taras Bulba,

ICA Classics

$14.99 Nov 19, 2013

Rozhdestvensky is considered to be one of the greatest Tchaikovsky conductors today. Given his Russian background and his outstanding leadership of the Bolshoi in the past, it is not surprising that his performances of the composer's works are entirely idiomatic. This live performance of Tchaikovsky's popular Symphony No.5 comes from the 1978 Flanders Festival in Belgium and has been recorded in excellent stereo. It is both exciting and poetic, and it confirmed Rozhdestvensky's new appointment as music director of the BBC Symphony the same year. The fill-up consists of Jan+ícek's rhapsody Taras Bulba recorded at the 1981 Proms. This work is a new addition to Rozhdestvensky's discography. Taras Bulba is arguably Janacek's most powerful and dramatic work. Here, it is given a searing performance in superb stereo, which fully captures the large orchestra used, complete with organ, brass and percussion.

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 - Janácek: Taras Bulba,
ICA Classics Nov 2013
CD
$14.99

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Liszt: Mazeppa / Mehta, BRSO

BR Klassik

$9.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 50% May 05, 2023

This BR-KLASSIK CD features recordings of concerts on February 28 and March 1, 2013 in the Philharmonie im Gasteig.

Zubin Mehta is closely associated with the city of Munich and the orchestras based there. From 1998 to 2006, he was General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and has similarly close ties with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Tchaikovsky wrote his Symphony No. 5 in E minor, op. 64, the so-called "Fate Symphony,” in 1888. All four movements of the work are permeated by the so-called “fate” theme. Together with his fourth and sixth (“Pathétique”) symphonies, the fifth is one of Tchaikovsky's most popular.

Franz Liszt's symphonic poem "Mazeppa" is based on a poem by Victor Hugo and uses musical material from the composer’s fourth "Etude d'exécution transcendante" from 1846. The symphonic poem was composed in 1850 during Liszt's tenure as court conductor in Weimar, and was first performed on April 16, 1854. Liszt's symphonic poem describes the wild ride across the steppe of the emaciated and exhausted Ivan Masepa (Mazeppa), tied to the back of a horse. He is finally rescued by Cossacks, who take him to Ukraine.

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Liszt: Mazeppa / Mehta, BRSO
BR Klassik May 2023
CD
~~$19.99~~ $9.99

SYMPHONY NO. 5
LPO Jul 2008
CD
$15.99

SYMPHONY NO. 5
RCO LIVE HOLLAND Nov 2008
SACD
$21.99

SYMPHONY NO 5
WARNER CLASSICS Jan 2012
CD
$14.49

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5; Beethoven / Leinsdorf

ICA Classics

DVD

$20.99 ~~$26.99~~ Save 20% Feb 28, 2012

Leinsdorf belatedly enters the select list of the greatest Tchaikovsky performances on record.

The previous Leinsdorf offering in this series had a very good-to-fine Schubert 9, an even finer Schumann 4 and a wonderful Wagner “Good Friday Music”. However much you enjoyed it, I should think that only those present in the Boston Symphony Hall on 15 April 1969 could be fully prepared for the impact of the present resuscitation.

The first pleasant surprise that the material is in colour, even if definition is not up to modern standards. The second is that Leinsdorf, who was usually seen – before and after 1969 – without a baton and said in a late interview that he felt freer to mould the music expressively with just his hands – marches on with a longish baton and seems accustomed to wielding it. Richard Dyer, whose eye-witness notes continue to be such a valuable feature of this series, makes no mention of this. It would be interesting to know more about Leinsdorf’s use and non-use of the baton.

But all this pales before the fact that this sometimes austere and pedantic conductor is on truly inspired and inspiring form, conducting with total involvement. This doesn’t mean that it’s all fast and loud: the Beethoven goes at a good but not excessive pace and there is plenty of expressive weight to the introduction. The wind phrases in the allegro are beautifully turned and the coda truly blazes.

Leinsdorf’s Beethoven is a known factor. If it wasn’t always this good, I suppose it doesn’t need a lot of imagination to see that, on the right day, it could be. But his Tchaikovsky?

Leinsdorf only recorded one Tchaikovsky Symphony commercially, the Sixth with the Los Angeles Philharmonic some years before his Boston appointment. I’ve never heard this, nor have I ever seen it spoken of with bated breath. Whereas the internet grapevine has been shouting excitedly about this Fifth ever since somebody posted an incomplete sound-only version, as Richard Dyer relates. I can well understand those internet commentators who say they’ll never listen to their other discs of the work now this is available, or one who actually heard it at the time and has been unable to find a performance to match it – not even Mravinsky – ever since.

On the face of it, Leinsdorf doesn’t “do” anything particular with the music. The introduction is brooding but also purposeful – he notes that it is “andante” not “adagio” and one senses a great latent power behind waiting to be unleashed. His “Allegro con anima” does not sidle in slowly, gaining speed later, he sets an up-front tempo straight away. It will sound very fast to some listeners. But this is his tempo, so the first crescendo is not accompanied by an accelerando and the hammering passages go at about the “normal” speed. Nor does he deviate from this tempo, except where Tchaikovsky actually requests a slower pace for the second subject. Leinsdorf plays this with great tenderness and free rubato, even risking some less precise ensemble. On paper, this might sound like one of Leinsdorf’s dogmatic demonstrations, and if he had subsequently taken the performance into the studio I fear it might have turned into just that. I must emphasize that here everything is white-hot and convinces as a free expression of emotions.

So, too, does the slow movement. The tempo is pretty steady but there is a sense of free-soaring passion which completely effaces any sense of the four-square. The waltz has an elegance which does not prevent exploitation of its darker moments while the finale carries all before it. The coda has an air of crude triumph presaging Mahler. Audience reaction is rightly rapturous and even Leinsdorf manages some smiles. It looks as though the Bostonians learnt to love Leinsdorf just as he was on his way out.

I haven’t ventured to compare this with other favourites. Once the initial impact has worn off I cannot believe that performance by such as Mravinsky or Markevich, which have provided inspiration to generations (and to me) can be wholly and eternally eclipsed. The case still remains for a cooler, more brooding approach, notably provided – in very primitive sound – by Landon Ronald. At the opposite extreme, the capacity of late Celibidache to bend your internal clock and suspend disbelief at his time-dilations is not to be dismissed either. What I am quite sure of is that Leinsdorf has belatedly entered the select list of the greatest Tchaikovsky performances on record.

Back to batonless Leinsdorf in black and white for the Mozart bonus. He puts on an incredibly autocratic face with black looks all round. Those used to modern Mozart will gasp at the fullness of the first attack, yet there is lilt as well as majesty, and delicacy later on, Leinsdorf shaping the music with crisp finger-movements.

An interesting filler, perhaps. But don’t miss the Tchaikovsky on any account.

-- Christopher Howell, MusicWeb International

LEINSDORF CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN AND TCHAIKOVSKY

Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont, Op. 84: Overture
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Erich Leinsdorf, conductor

Recorded at Symphony Hall, Boston, 15 April 1969

Bonus:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 9 in D major, K. 320, "Posthorn": II. Menuetto: Allegretto

Recorded at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, 15 January 1963

Picture format: NTSC 4:3
Sound format: Enhanced Mono
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Booklet notes: English, French, German
Running time: 57 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5; Beethoven / Leinsdorf
ICA Classics Feb 2012
DVD
~~$26.99~~ $20.99

STRING QUARTETS OP. 64,NR.5,OP
Bayer Jan 2012
CD
$20.99

SYMPHONY 10 IN E MINOR
ALTO May 2010
CD
$11.01

Mendelssohn: Concerto per violino e orchestra in mi minore,

MV Cremona

$17.99 Aug 16, 2024

This CD offers a beautiful live performance of the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy with the Italian violinist Christian Joseph Saccon and the prestigious Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis. Saccon trained at the great Venetian school of Luigi Ferro, then continued his studies by attending masterclasses with the most important European masters: Tibor Varga, Corrado Romano, Franco Gulli, Uto Ughi and Giuliano Carmignola. He plays a Marino Capicchioni violin from 1942 that belonged to Maestro Salvatore Accardo. It was the famous violinist Ferdinand David who commissioned the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The first performance took place at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig on 13 March 1845 with David as soloist. The performance was conducted by the Danish composer Niels Gade as Mendelssohn was in poor health at the time. The concerto, performed again in October of that year, with David as soloist under the baton of Mendelssohn himself, was a resounding success. Since then, the concerto has become a staple in concert programmes. In June 1846, the concerto was performed at the Philharmonic Society in London. Mendelssohn personally selected the Genoese violinist Camillo Sivori, a pupil of Paganini, as soloist. On 3 October 1847, it was performed by a young protege of Mendelssohn, the young Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who would go on to become a favourite collaborator of Brahms. The concerto is an elegant and skilfully crafted composition, where brilliance and buoyancy conceal the work's constructive genius. The Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis interprets also the Symphony n.4 "Italiana" op.90 by Mendelssohn with fresh vigor in a brilliant live performance. It is surely one of the most celebrated compositions by Mendelssohn. The CD is completed by a precious bonus track with the pieces played by Saccon as an encore of the live concert: Capricci n.11 and n.24 by Niccolo Paganini, in which Saccon show all his virtuoso skills.

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Mendelssohn: Concerto per violino e orchestra in mi minore,
MV Cremona Aug 2024
CD
$17.99

Symphony in E minor & Symphony in C major

CPO

$18.99 Oct 02, 2026

The strong visual power of the music is captivating, one commentator reported after he heard the first of two albums devoted to the four surviving symphonies of the "Rhineland music pope" Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885). With the conclusion of this cycle - small in scale but remarkable in quality - Howard Griffiths and the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt (Oder) now present us with the earliest and the latest works in the series. Once again, it is not only the enthusiastic reviewer who will find much to enjoy. The Symphony in E minor is the passionately effervescent creation of an artist who has just turned twenty and wants to show the world all he has. The "Final Word", written four and a half decades later, exudes the self-confidence of a man who has long since "made it". He can look back nostalgically on the days of Mendelssohn and Schumann and still allow himself to write harmonic oddities without asking permission. Astonishing!

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Symphony in E minor & Symphony in C major
CPO Oct 2026
CD
$18.99

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 / The Rock
Chandos Mar 2010
CD
$21.99

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor
Vox Jan 1999
CD
$19.99

Symphony 5 In C Minor 67 / Die Fledermaus Overture

NKB Record

$18.99 May 03, 2019

This recording, unlike the previous two albums, was made in the newly renovated Slovak Philharmonic Hall. Reflecting the bright and festive atmosphere of this hall, this performance changes the heavy impression of anguished "Destiny" which has prevailed until now. The progression of this symphony, starting with the first movement which inspires violent anxiety, to a reversal in the warm and friendly second movement, to the wrenching third movement, and finishing with the strong resoluteness of the fourth movement, is testimony to the lifetime of Beethoven. The two works of Johann Strauss let you enjoy the good old Vienna atmosphere, appropriate to the home of this orchestra. Without aggressive pressure, with a characteristic generous and spacious tempo, this performance dispels the stern image which tends to follow this work around.

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Symphony 5 In C Minor 67 / Die Fledermaus Overture
NKB Record May 2019
CD
$18.99

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 - Arrangemen

Nimbus

Sheet Music

$69.99 Nov 04, 2022

From the artists: "Our objective in creating this new arrangement was to remain as faithful to the original as practically possible. We set out to embrace not only the capabilities of the two pianos but also their limitations - we wanted to create a true piano work, rather than a less-than-satisfactory imitation of the orchestral version. We first performed our arrangement at St John's Smith Square in London in 2017 and for the next five years we worked to refine the textures and to create something comfortably pianistic while incorporating as much of Rachmaninoff's intention as is feasible. We sought inspiration from the composers own arrangement of the Symphonic Dances Op.45, from his two Suites for two pianos Opp.5 and 17, and from his four-hands version of The Rock Op.7. We hope that our arrangement will be enjoyable to all pianists who have a love for Rachmaninoff's music. The much-loved Adagio will serve as a great challenge for musicians of diploma level, while anyone who has enjoyed performing the Suites will surely enjoy this new challenge."

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Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 - Arrangemen
Nimbus Nov 2022
Sheet Music
$69.99

Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 39 & Finlandia, Op.
BIS Jan 1984
CD
$21.99

SYMPHONY NO. 9 IN E MINOR, OP.
Supraphon Jan 1992
CD
$25.99

SYMPHONY NO. 8 IN C MINOR, OP.
Artek Sep 2008
CD
$18.99

COMPLETE SYMPHONY SUITE NO. 23 IN A MINOR OP. 56
ALTO Oct 2008
CD
$11.01

Symphony No. 6 In A Minor

Archipel

$10.99 Nov 13, 2015

Recorded in a 1955 concert at Carnegie Hall, the conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos with the New York Philharmonic was an advocate and champion of Gustav Mahler. Said by some to bring a radical perspective to Mahler's scores, this re-issue of the so-called "Tragic" symphony enables us to appreciate the much talked about and legendary 1955 performance with superb sound acoustics but has suffered the fate of going in and out of print over the years.

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Symphony No. 6 In A Minor
Archipel Nov 2015
CD
$10.99

ROMEO & JULIET OPP.64A & B
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Oct 1990
CD
$18.49

Karlowicz: Symphony in E minor, "Rebirth", Op. 7
DUX Feb 2009
CD
$21.99

Tamberg, E.: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 / Violin Concerto, Op.
Antes Edition Sep 1996
CD
$24.99

Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D Major, Bwv 1068 - Brahms: Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98
Orfeo Nov 1989
CD
$16.99

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36, Th 27
Orfeo Sep 2011
CD
$20.99

Mahler: Symphony No 7 In E Minor / Gerard Schwarz, Royal Liverpool Po

Artek

$18.99 Jun 24, 2008

"Gerard Schwarz offers a solid interpretation of the Seventh Symphony that merits attention from start to finish." - Opera Today

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3222250.az_MAHLER_Symphony_7_Gerard.html

MAHLER Symphony No. 7 • Gerard Schwarz, cond; Royal Liverpool PO • ARTEK 43 (76:00)

Generally speaking, Mahler’s late symphonies—except for No. 8, which is extremely popular because of its splendid exhibitionism, despite its complexity—are not only unpopular but also extremely difficult to bring off well, and the Seventh has always been considered the most difficult of all. Only a handful of conductors, among them Kubelík, Abbado, and Boulez, seem to have managed to solve this hardest of Mahler’s musical puzzles. All three of the conductors named were able to do so because they reveled in its grotesqueries, yet were able to knit its disparate elements together, and even they do not always succeed (or succeed equally) in each of the performances they lead.

As I write these introductory words, I am in fact listening to Rafael Kubelík conduct the symphony, the performance of February 28, 1981, with the New York Philharmonic that is generally considered to be his finest. All the swirling details of the score are brought out clearly, yet each and every element is knitted together splendidly and woven into a tapestry that touches the spirit and evokes a world of different moods. Kubelík’s tempos, in this performance especially, were rather slow, yet they never sound slow; he maintains momentum, no matter how convoluted the texture or how difficult the rhythms, and sustains tension despite his slowness.

Switching to Schwarz, one hears a performance 10 minutes faster than Kubelík’s. There is less rubato, more of a linear concept. It is played with great feeling, however—something I did not hear in Schwarz’s readings of the First and Ninth symphonies—and although not quite as fiery as Abbado’s second, more successful, recording, it works very well. Like Kubelík, Schwarz revels in the music’s grotesqueries, albeit in stricter tempo. There is sufficient relaxation in the soft string passages to offset this drama, and the Royal Liverpool orchestra responds with verve and great feeling to Schwarz’s every shift of mood.

The first “Nachtmusik” movement plays off the dark and light elements in perfect equilibrium. The lyrical middle section has just the right tenderness and gemütlich for the music. The music sings—and how it sings! One almost expects a soprano to come swooping in at any moment. The Scherzo has proper bounce and swagger, with a light touch that makes the odd violin glisses sound like aerial acrobats riding above the ebb and flow of the music. There is also a touch of humor, so important in this score. The second “Nachtmusik” continues this mood in a most charming vein. In the finale, Schwarz pulls out all the stops: the music leaps from the speakers and grabs you by the shoulders. There is an almost Baroque feeling to the counterpoint, though dressed in modern harmonic clothing, that Schwarz, an expert Baroque conductor, understands very well.

Gerard, you scored a hit with this one! The sound quality is nothing short of fantastic. Five stars, easily.

FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley

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Mahler: Symphony No 7 In E Minor / Gerard Schwarz, Royal Liverpool Po
Artek Jun 2008
CD
$18.99