# Suggest a recording of Francesca da Rimini



## Polednice

If you're reading this, then I assume you have a suggestion lined up already 

I'm just searching for some general opinions about which recordings of Tchaikovsky's _Francesca da Rimini_ you think are the best - and when I say the best, I mean the most terrifyingly dramatic (and, no, I am not just interested in the ending)!

I currently own the version recorded by Ricco Saccani with the Budapest Philharmonic, and I'm very pleased with it; I certainly think it's one of the better recordings of the piece. However, I recently listened to the version by Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the sheer Hellishness of the piece became much more apparent.

So, unless I've already luckily struck gold with Muti, which recording do you think will scare me the most?


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## Donboy

If you can find it, the recording with Gennadi Rhozhdestvensky and the Leningrad Phil. on DG is highly regarded by me and others. Its an old one, and may not have been transferred to CD. And of course, there's the Lenny version with his typical excesses and runs to nearly 28 mins, coupled with a wonderful 4th symphony! DG 429 778-2


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## Jaime77

I have the Lenny you mention above there Donboy and it is seriously wild but I like it


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## Polednice

Since I posted this a while ago, I settled on Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Considering the bigger names and orchestras that have recorded this piece, I was surprised, but it's by far the best I've heard.


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## Aramis

If you can stand very old recordings sound then go for Stokowski, there was vinyl with FdR and Kachatachatahutachurian's Masquarade Suite conducted by him and I'm pretty sure it is possible to steal it from web.


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## joen_cph

I´ve got these

cd "Francesca da Rimini", Symf. Digt op.32 (1878)/Mravinsky,LenPO/fra melodia cd
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Svetlanov,USSRSO/mel-euro 85 306xdk
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Stokowski,NYStadiumSO/everest st sdbr3011
lp "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Stokowski,LSO/rca 86 4lp R225027
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Ovchinnikov,USSRRSO/mel 82 c10 17061-62

and the Ovchinnikov has the fastest & most dramatic playing I´ve ever heard, if you should
be able to pick it up. I guarantee that you won´t be disappointed. The Mravinsky is also good.


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## Pchai

I think you got it with Muti. I'm looking around for a better one, but nope.


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## Animal the Drummer

It wasn't universally well received, but I like Ashkenazy and the RPO in this piece, which (sorry) can sometimes outstay its welcome for me.


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## Merl

Eschenbach and Pappano are pretty special.


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## CnC Bartok

I too feel Francesca outstays her welcome, but heyho, each to his own....

The two recordings I do like of this are the Pletnev recording on DGG, and Andrew Litton in Virgin. Both are part of larger boxes of the symphonies as well as various other orchestral works, and both sets are great value and full of very fine performances, not only of F da R......


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## Geoff48

I think that this is a work where the finest performance by a long chalk is the New York Stadium Symphony Orchestra ( a pseudonym of the Philharmonic? )With Leopold Stokowski. The recording is relatively old albeit stereo being originally recorded by Everest, a hi fi label. But the interpretation is white hot with passion. Stokowski made a couple more versions, one in mono with the New York Philharmonic and one in stereo made in London. Both these alternatives are good but neither matches the Everest one.
Now it would be unfair to say that there are not other very fine versions of Francesca. I liked Giulini for a long time and still do, I also like Pletnev. But lightening rarely strikes twice and the Stokowski is incredible. There is a version on Spotify, how often do I say this, and if you love Tchaikovsky and haven’t heard it then I urge you to do so. The coupling is Hamlet. I’m not sure if it is available on cd.


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## CnC Bartok

^^^^ Yup, it's on CD, and you can get the two works downloaded at Amazon for a princely £1.98, or 99p each!


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## Pchai

CnC Bartok said:


> I too feel Francesca outstays her welcome, but heyho, each to his own....
> 
> The two recordings I do like of this are the Pletnev recording on DGG, and Andrew Litton in Virgin. Both are part of larger boxes of the symphonies as well as various other orchestral works, and both sets are great value and full of very fine performances, not only of F da R......


Can you help me find the Litton. I have a Litton cycle, but no Francesca.


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## CnC Bartok

Pchai said:


> Can you help me find the Litton. I have a Litton cycle, but no Francesca.


I am afraid you caught me in a village eejit moment, apologies. My Markevitch recording is for some reason labelled as Litton's on my hard drive. Not as bad as my thinking Berio's own recording of his Sinfonia was by Bernstein for 30+ years.....!

But the rest of Litton's Tchaikovsky is excellent!!


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## Mathias Broucek

Stokowski. No competition.

Make sure you do NOT buy the cheap unofficial versions! I made that mistake myself...


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