Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphonies (Mariss Jansons)

Information

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter Daydreams'
• Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian'
• Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29
• Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
• Capriccio italien, Op. 45
• Manfred Symphony, Op. 58
• Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
• Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique'

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra

Mariss Jansons, conductor

Date: 1986

Label: Chandos

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Review

Mariss Jansons's outstanding Tchaikovsky series with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra makes a welcome appearance in this boxed set, confirming all I have said about the individual issues over the last three years, It may still seem odd to those who have not sampled these consistently refreshing, beautifully paced and structured performances that the Oslo Philharmonic can so successfully match itself against the world's greatest orchestras, but the evidence here seems clearer to me every time I hear them and make comparisons.

Jansons in Tchaikovsky has the gift of conveying the full power and poetry of these works, naturally without indulging in wilful distortions or exaggerations. The whole set provides a bench-mark in this area, not only for interpretation but for brilliant and atmospheric recording quality too, against which others now have to be judged, including the distinguished rival sets listed that have been appearing on CD over the last few months.

What may disappoint some is that Chandos have not repackaged the Jansons series to make a keener bargain. The discs, pressed as for the separate issues, are boxed at a price which works out at seven for the price of five. On cassette Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 are coupled, making six cassettes instead of seven in the box.

Those who are looking for an outstanding bargain, one of the most enticing I can think of, need go no further than the Karajan set. All six numbered symphonies are squeezed on to only four CDs, selling at mid price. The minor snag is that Nos. 2 and 5 are broken between discs, but even there one is no worse off than with an ordinary LP.

-- Edward Greenfield

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Romantic Russian composer. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin. Despite his many popular successes, Tchaikovsky's life was punctuated by personal crises and depression.

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Mariss Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian conductor, best known for his interpretations of Mahler, Strauss and Russian composers. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory, as well as with Hans Swarowsky and Herbert von Karajan. In 1979, he became Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic, with which he performed, recorded and toured extensively. His other positions included music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony (1997–2004), chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (2003–19), and principal conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2004–15).

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