Track Listing

1. Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima
2. Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: Andantino in modo di canzona
3. Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: Scherzo, Pizzacato ostinato - Allegro
4. Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: Finale, Allegro con fuoco
5. 1812 -- Festival Overture, for orchestra in E flat major, Op. 49
6. Slavonic March, for orchestra, Op. 31

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #280056 in Music
• Released on: 1991-04-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Eugene Ormandy's great Tchaikovsky recordings were all made for Sony (then CBS), and this performance of the Fourth Symphony and other goodies features his typically lush, Romantic string sonority, along with a few orchestral retouchings, particularly at the very end. Generations of music lovers grew up on these performances, and hearing them again (in much better sound and at budget price) is like meeting an old friend after a long absence. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Wonderful, rich 4th, "The Philadelphia Sound" in its glory.
This is a Fourth that sparkles and shimmers. The Philadelphia Orchestra never sounded better--even the brass is magnificent--and this repertiore fits them perfectly. Ormandy seems at home with the Tchaikovsky 4th--he must have conducted it a thousand times when this 1970 recording was made. Tempi are middle-of-the-road and balances are perfect. The pizzicato third movement is the *fattest* I've ever heard, and the rip-roaring finale will get you doing an infectious Russian dance and longing nostalgically for the Tzar, even if you were born in the USA in the second half of the 20th century.

But some of the lushness and comfort in this performance are also a minus. Compared to a Mravinsky, for example, or a Bernstein, Ormandy never got too far below the surface of this music. The same beauty of sound could also be compared to cotton candy--a little goes a long way. So, as usual, I'll say you should supplement this recording with some other viewpoints, such as Mravinsky and Bernstein. (I've reviewed one of Mravinsky's recordings elsewhere on this site, if you're interested.)

I can't really comment on that old warhorse, 1812. I'm not nuts about the piece, and don't have a lot of different performances to compare this one to. So you'll have to rely on other reviews.

As for Marche Slave, this is a perfectly fine performance, but nothing will ever match the incredible 1969 Stokowski/London Symphony Orchestra performance on London ("Phase 4 Quadrophonic" in its first release on vinyl). I don't know if that has been released on CD, but that is the yardstick if you want a Slave that's larger than life and viscerally thrilling.

(P.S.: Feel compelled to straighten out a couple of errors. Despite what another reviewer says below, The Valley Forge Military Academy has nothing to do with this 4th Symphony recording. It's also not a particularly "Russian" interpretation. Russian orchestras, until very recently, used vibrato in the *brass,* for one example. There is nothing like that in this performance. If you want "Russian," check out the aforementioned Mravinsky. Or check out the reviews of it--for many true "Russian" is an aquired taste. The Philly Orch. is all sweetness and light by comparison.)

Power
Tchaikovsky's music on this cd can be very accurately summed up in one word- power. The fourth symphony opens with the triumphant horn call, formidably telling what is to come. Marche slave, with the mournful sound of a dirge at times and a nationalistic flair at others, is enough of a reason to purchase this cd. Philadelphia does an excellent job with the pieces, and I highly recommend it.

Great renditions of some of Tchaikovsky's best
This recording is a wonderful mix of one of his most notable symphonies, along with the two shorter pieces that are most widely known. Symphony No.4 is good, but not great; buy this album for "1812" and "Slavic March."

"1812" is moving and spirited; a choral introduction replaces the more traditional instrumental, and although it is in English, it works very well with the spirit of the piece. Throughout, the tempo is spirited, the music compelling, and of course, the cannons appropriately bombastic.

"Slavic March" is not nearly as well known as "1812," but this recording shows it deserves equal attention as a great short work, capturing the essence of the great Russian musical traditions.