Indispensable.
Many marvelous recordings of the “Pines of Rome” in my collection including Bernstein/NYPO (Stanley Drucker’s solo work in “The Pines of the Janiculum” is spellbinding & unsurpassed), Ormandy/Philadelphia SACD & the John Neschling/São Paulo Symphony Orchestra’s stunningly recorded Bis SACD, but this is the one I turn to most often. Indispensable.
I saw the film of Alexandr Nevsky at the Barbican with the score performed by the BBC SO, the BBC symphony Chorus and a couple of other choirs, conducted by Martin Brabbins. It was quite amazing. Synchronising the orchestra to a film live is quite an achievement, especially the battle scenes.
https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/alexander-nevsky-bbc-symphony-orchestra-and-chorus-brabbins-barbican-hall
Wish I could have been there.
Every time I come to this topic this BBC piece starts playing. It is getting a little irritating
Deleted it !
I really love the Berlin Philharmoniker generally but particularly think their version of The Planets under Sir Simon is sublime.
Listened to this on Tidal and ended up buying the CD.
Toward the end of 2nd piece death and transfiguration is very enlightening, especially after I read the story behind it;
I love Reiner’s interpretation of Debussy and Revel; there is no lack of impressionism / subtly similar to another my favorite conductor Bernard Haitink, but Reiner added some spark and spice, make is very enjoyable to listen to; I cannot help myself but crank up the volume pass 12;
Found this on Qobuz. A rather boxy recording by a very fine pianist. It reminded me that an Annie Fischer recital was the first I attended with my now wife, in June 1992, about a month after we met. Alfred Brendel was meant to be playing but was “indisposed”. She was introduced as the “child prodigy …”, a bit unfair given she was 78 at the time. She played a Beethoven sonata and Kreisleriana. It was remarkable and Brendel wasn’t missed. A few bum notes in the Schumann, but as a 78 year-old stand-in, I don’t suppose she practised that much.
Undiminished, her modest encore was the final movement of the Hammerklavier sonata, which was sublime. That was her last London gig before she died. Oddly, the Hammerklavier was the last thing Emil Gilels played in London before he died, on the same stage. That was something else.
This was rated the 9th favourite symphony (To Conduct) in Classical-Music.com Survey of Conductors some years ago. I am not sure I’d put it in my top 10 to listen to but I enjoyed this version. Much as I hate to say anything is better than my Berliner Philharmoniker I think the Leningrad Phil under Mravinsky might be, for this piece.
The “Pathetique” has long been a favorite of mine, since I was in college in '78 and stumbled into an open rehearsal of the Milwaukee Symphony and heard its opening bars and those incredible basses. This one sounds wonderful, but for performance I almost always return to the Mravinsky/Leningrad performance you mention. I say “almost” because lately my attention (or maybe “fascination” is a better word) has been drawn to the version by Currentzis and MusicAeterna. Amazing sound quality recording, and one of the most dramatic readings I’ve ever run across. Maybe too so, but fascinating nonetheless, IMO.
Although I go and see ballets using his music, and thanks to Covid19 we missed Franscesca Hayward’s Royal Ballet debut in Swan Lake back in April, I find most of Tchaikovsky’s music insufferably romantic and I just can’t listen to it. It’s just like musical syrup, over-sweet and makes me sick.