Track Listing

1. Symphony No.1
2. Symphony No.2
3. Symphony No.3
4. Marche Slave
5. Capriccio Italien

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154250 in Music
• Released on: 2002-01-02
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

Give me Rozhdestvensky 's Angel recordings anyday.
After listening to the works offered in this 2 CD set, I was struck by the degree of passion, intensity and precision effected by von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic during these recordings compared to that of other artists. More to the point, I have always enjoyed Gennady Rozhdestvensky's renditions of these three symphonies (released in the mid-70's on Melodiya Angel) because of the pacing, fire and sensitivity he was able to draw forth from the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and unfortunately the performances here don't quite match up in my book. They're good, but they simply don't leave the same positive impression after the last note is sounded.

Please show me the way to Russia
Karajan was never able to rough up his conducting when it was needed. Polish and control were part of his musical personality, which means that when he approached rustic or not-yet-masterful works, like the first three symphonies of Tchaikovsky, he was fairly lost.

This tricky music can easily sound banal and under-composed, as it does here. It needs commitment from someone who feels its Slavic genes. The urbanity Karajan imposes is undermining. His personality fits better with the last three symphonies because, like all masterpieces, they are open to depth of interpretation. If you want to hear the earlier works sound at their dance-like best, I'd recommend Temirkanov on RCA--he doesn't care if he wipes off his boots before coming into the parlor.

Same Performances as Boxed Set
Well, I made a mistake ordering this set from Amazon; an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. I figured that since Karajan's companion "2CD" set of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 4-6 was different than those contained on the DG "Collector's Edition" box set, that somehow these recordings of Symphonies 1-3 would be different as well. Wrong! Every performance on this double-disc, including "Marche Slave" and "Capriccio Italien," are identical to the accounts featured on the "Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky" 8CD box. Oh well, at least no one else will make the same mistake as long as they read this review.