# Your Tchaikovsky Symphonies Frankencycle?



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

What are your favorite recordings of each of Tchaikovsky's symphonies? What would your ideal Tchaikovsky symphonies frankencycle look like? 

I tend to focus on the numbered symphonies (1 - 6) but you are welcome to include your favorite Manfred, or for that matter the reconstructed 7th as well.

Feel free to expand on why a particular recording appeals to you.

Thanks.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Igor Markevitch comes immediately to mind as someone who recorded all six. Ferenc Fricsay recorded the last three and they are magnificent.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Riccardo Muti/ Leonard Bernstein ( Sony) Vladimir Jurowski /Bernard Haitink R.C.O . in this order


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The OP is not asking what complete cycles we prefer.

My actual Frankencycle, since I do not have a complete cycle, and at most two versions of a Tchaiikovsky symphony:

1 Karajan '79, DG
2 Fedoseyev, Melodyia
3 Karajan '79, DG
4 Mravinsky, DG (Rozhdestevensky, IMP)
5 Karajan '76, DG (Mravinsky, DG)
6 Mravinsky, DG (Rozhdestevensky, IMP)
M Jansons, Chandos


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

1) Tilson Thomas/Boston Symphony
2) Maazel/Vienna Philharmonic
3) Bernstein/New York Philharmonic
4) Jansons/Oslo Philharmonic
5) Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
6) Mravinsky/Leningrad Philharmonic


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

1 - Abbado, Bernstein
2 - Abbado, Svetlanov
3 - Abbado
4 - Bernstein/NYPO, Mravinsky, Reiner, Solti
5 - Solti, Mravinsky
6 - Reiner, Mravinsky

I don't very often listen to 4 or 5....i much prefer 1 - 3, 6 is ok...mvts I, III.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

1 - Dorati/LSO
2 - Abbado/New Philharmonia 
3 - Karajan/BPO
4 - Mengelberg/RCO
5 - Stokowski/Philadelphia 
6 - Furtwängler/BPO (either ‘38 or ‘51)


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

Sym1 would be Tilden Thomas/BSO/DG. I really can’t say I have particular favorites about Sym2,3. Sym4 would go to Mravinsky/Leningrad/DG. Sym5 might be a surprise to many. Szell/Cleveland/Sony. Szell opens the symphony without an adagio tempo which I think is simply wrong. Sym6. Wow. That is difficult. Fricsay,Karajan(60’s,70’s) Furtwangler (30’s),Reiner,Chicago, There might be even more.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

1 - Muti Philharmonia
2 - Muti Philharmonia
3 - Muti Philharmonia
4 - Solti Chicago
5 - Szell Cleveland
6 - Giulini Philharmonia


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

1. Muti 
2. Solti
3. Svetlanov
4. Sohkiev
5. Rodzinski 
6. Munch
7. Ormandy
Manfred: Ashkenazy


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

*Symphony I*: Riccardo Muti & the Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI)
*Symphony II* (*original 1872 version*): Geoffrey Simon & the London Symphony (Chandos)
*Symphony III*: Yevgeny Svetlanov & the Russian Federation Symphony (Canyon/Warner Classics)
*Symphony IV*: Charles Dutoit & the Montréal Symphony (Decca)
*Symphony V*: Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic (DG)
*Symphony VI*: Takashi Asahina & the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra (TOBU Recordings)
*Symphony VII*: Neemi Jarvi & the London Philharmonic (Chandos)
*Manfred Symphony*: Yevgeny Svetlanov & the USSR Symphony (Melodiya/Warner Classics)


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Rogerx said:


> Riccardo Muti/ Leonard Bernstein ( Sony) Vladimir Jurowski /Bernard Haitink R.C.O . in this order


Haitink 1
Bernstein 2
Bernstein 3 
Jurowsky 4
Muti 5
Muti 6


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I won't term this a Frankencycle. I don't think _any_ combination of Tchaikovsky symphonies could be equated with the monstrous. But I have received great pleasure over the years from the following six performances, all recordings long in my collection:

1. Michael Tilson Thomas / Boston Symphony
2. Evgeny Svetlanov / USSR State Symphony Orchestra
3. Igor Markevitch / London Symphony Orchestra
4. Georg Solti / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
5. Evgeny Mravinsky / Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
6. James Levine / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Manfred. Mariss Jansons / Oslo Philharmonic

Of course, soon as I click the "Post Quick Reply" button on the bottom of my Talk Classical Forum screen, my choices will change (except for No. 6, which is a sure thing). Here goes!


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

I don't even like Muti, but then again, I don't like Tchaikovsky either, so I guess my choice is the Muti EMI/Brilliant box that's collecting dust somewhere on a shelf here.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> 1 - Dorati/LSO
> *2 - Abbado/New Philharmonia*
> 3 - Karajan/BPO
> 4 - Mengelberg/RCO
> ...


Love that pick for T2, so many boring renditions but here young Abbado adds sparkle and lifted rythms, the 2nd movement "marziale" is magical, his later recordings of this work are nowhere close to this........


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

1 Maazel cond. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

2 Abbado cond. Chicago Symphony Orchestra

3 Slatkin cond. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

4 Bohm cond. London Symphony Orchestra

5 Stokowski cond. New Phailharmonia Orchestra

6 Mravinsky cond. Leningrad Philharmonic

7 Ormandy cond. Philadelphia Orchestra


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

This line-up features a different conductor and orchestra for each symphony, although some of the pairings are superb on more than one.

1: Igor Markevitch, London Symphony Orchestra
2: Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1970's)
3: Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
4: Claudio Abbado, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manfred: Rozhdestvensky, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
5: Christian Lindberg, Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra
6: Yevgeny Mravinsky, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra


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## Fredrikalansson (Jan 29, 2019)

My favourites: for a long long time, Dorati and LSO for first three. Dorati takes them seriously (which most people didn't at the time), but doesn't try to inflate them into rivals of the last three.

Predictably, Mravinsky for the last three. However, for 6, I love Monteux with Boston, and found the recent Currentzis was devastating.

For a complete cycle, I'm still loving Petrenko with RLPO (Onyx), and also his Manfred on Naxos.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Fredrikalansson said:


> ...Dorati and LSO for first three. Dorati takes them seriously (which most people didn't at the time), but doesn't try to inflate them into rivals of the last three.


I like Abbado/CSO for Syms 1-3....they are neat pieces, and fun to play...I much prefer them to 4 and 5 which, to me, are way overexposed, overblown...[I freely admit, as a professional musician, to suffering from extreme overexposure to these works]

#6 is ok, when in the hands of conductors like Reiner or Mravinsky...I sometimes listen to mvts I and III


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

Fredrikalansson said:


> ... Predictably, Mravinsky for the last three. However, for 6, I love Monteux with Boston, and found the recent Currentzis was devastating....


The Currentzis 6th is outstanding.


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## Fredrikalansson (Jan 29, 2019)

When I said devastating, I meant in a good way.


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## Subutai (Feb 28, 2021)

1. Jansons (OPO)
2. Giulini (PO)
3. Markevitch (LSO)
4. Mravinsky (LPO)
5. Gergiev (VPO)
6. Pletnev (RNO)
M. Jurowski (LPO)


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