COMPOSERS: Tchaikovsky
LABELS: Philips Duo
WORKS: Suite No. 1; Suite No. 2 Suite No. 3; Suite No. 4
PERFORMER: New Philharmonia Orchestra/Antal Dorati
CATALOGUE NO: 454 253-2 ADD 1967
Though the sound on these Sixties Dorati recordings shows its age, the Tchaikovsky suites are rarities and well worth having. More weighty than the famous ballet numbers, yet outside the symphonic canon, these pieces are both pure Tchaikovsky and epitomes of a genre tradition that Russian composers have valued highly. Mozartiana, the Fourth Suite, improves on its original composer, turning severe piano miniatures into a gracious assembly that comes high on the list of the world’s most effective orchestral arrangements. Nicholas Williams
Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 1; Suite No. 2 Suite No. 3; Suite No. 4
Though the sound on these Sixties Dorati recordings shows its age, the Tchaikovsky suites are rarities and well worth having. More weighty than the famous ballet numbers, yet outside the symphonic canon, these pieces are both pure Tchaikovsky and epitomes of a genre tradition that Russian composers have valued highly. Mozartiana, the Fourth Suite, improves on its original composer, turning severe piano miniatures into a gracious assembly that comes high on the list of the world’s most effective orchestral arrangements. Nicholas Williams
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm