# Favourite Tchaikovsky tone poem/overture



## maestro267

This is the place where you can openly admit you like 1812! 

I voted for Francesca da Rimini. One of the most thrilling, dramatic endings in all music!


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## Aramis

I don't. It's not powerful as such piece should be, the only thing that I really like about it is idea of using cannons. Btw, why artillerists are never mentioned in recording crew?

I voted for Marche Slave.


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## Conor71

Romeo & Juliet is my favourite .


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## Mirror Image

"Capriccio Italien" wins everytime for me.


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## andruini

I voted for the Marche Slave too, because it was one of the pieces that first got me into serious listening to classical.. I still love it.


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## tahnak

*Tchaikovsky Tone Poem/Overture*

My Tchaikovsky Tone Poem is the Manfred Symphony.
Overture is Romeo and Juliet.
One of my favourite tone poems is FATUM.


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## maestro267

As I write, I've just found a performance of Fatum on YouTube, and I'm listening to it for the first time.

I didn't put Manfred on the list as I think of it as a full-fledged symphony (with programmatic elements of course), as opposed to a single-movement tone poem.


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## R.K.

I openly admit I like 1812! 

... but voted Marche slave.


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## maestro267

So do I. It was the piece that got me into classical music in the first place. I think, cos it's so popular, and played so often, certain classical-music types don't like it. The same goes for Bolero, Blue Danube and many other pieces.


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## LvB

I, too, would have voted for the _Manfred_ Symphony. But it's not so very far ahead of my actual choice here, _Francesca da Rimini_, that I feel cheated....


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## Mirror Image

tahnak said:


> My Tchaikovsky Tone Poem is the Manfred Symphony.
> Overture is Romeo and Juliet.
> One of my favourite tone poems is FATUM.


The Manfred Symphony isn't a tone poem.


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## Mirror Image

maestro267 said:


> I didn't put Manfred on the list as I think of it as a full-fledged symphony (with programmatic elements of course), as opposed to a single-movement tone poem.


It's not a tone poem, it's a symphony, so that's why it's not on the list. I mean come on people it has "symphony" in the title, so I think that's a dead giveaway right there.


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## Taneyev

Manfred is a tone poem. And IMHO not only the best Piotr ever wrote, but one of the greatest ever written.


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## Mirror Image

Taneyev said:


> Manfred is a tone poem. And IMHO not only the best Piotr ever wrote, but one of the greatest ever written.


*You are wrong.* Manfred is NOT a tone poem:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Symphony


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## Sid James

I have heard most of them, and I really like the romance of _Romeo & Juliet_. Second would have to be _Capriccio Italien_, for it's perfect rendition of the sunny south. & third the _1812_, because I like it's sense of drama...


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## maestro267

If Manfred is a tone poem, then so is Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, and any other symphony that depicts something.


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## nickgray

1812, Dorati.

Yes, it is my fav. Tchaikovsky's tone poem and I find nothing shameful in admitting it


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## Luke34

Everybody likes _1812_. If you don't, you still do, and now you're a liar as well.

But I'll go with _Francesca da Rimini_.


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## Somnifer

Francesca is my favourite. It's so good, it's frightening.


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## JAKE WYB

I would have voted Manfred if it had been on here but i agree its not a tone poemI DONT LIKE 1812 - i find it facile and annoying - and im definate about that - I know what i like and what is GOOD and that would be *Francesca de Rimini *mainly for the ending really though.


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## Polednice

Definitely _Francesca da Rimini_. It's a masterpiece. I listened to the version conducted at the BBC Proms this year (I can't remember the orchestra or conductor) and felt a certain lack to the ending. Then, I turned to my recording of it by Rico Saccani and the Budapest Philharmonic, which has an absolutely incredible ending to it. The final chord is held for such a long time with the greatest drama that even I lose my breath when listening to it, never mind the wind players!


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## Mirror Image

It's almost impossible for me to pick now. Having heard all of these compositions. I really "The Voyevoda" a lot. I also like "Hamlet," "Francesca da Remini," "Festival Overture," and "Romeo & Juliet Overture" a lot as well.


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## JAKE WYB

Polednice said:


> Definitely _Francesca da Rimini_. It's a masterpiece. I listened to the version conducted at the BBC Proms this year (I can't remember the orchestra or conductor) and felt a certain lack to the ending. Then, I turned to my recording of it by Rico Saccani and the Budapest Philharmonic, which has an absolutely incredible ending to it. The final chord is held for such a long time with the greatest drama that even I lose my breath when listening to it, never mind the wind players!


i agree it was david robertson who did it at the proms and it lacked complete apoclyptic hellish finality it really ought - the tam tam was almost inaudible


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## Bach

Mirror Image said:


> It's almost impossible for me to pick now. Having heard all of these compositions. I really "The Voyevoda" a lot. I also like "Hamlet," "Francesca da Remini," "Festival Overture," and "Romeo & Juliet Overture" a lot as well.


I love Romeo and Juliet - it's my favourite Tchaik.


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## Mirror Image

Bach said:


> I love Romeo and Juliet - it's my favourite Tchaik.


It's an amazing piece of music. Some very aggressive string syncopations in this overture. It's actually downright brutal.


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## Evoludo

The Tempest!!! The love theme is much more intense than the one in 'Romeo and Juliet'.


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## thatperson

I was debating over francesca da rimini and the tempest, but I finally chose francesca da rimini. Great piece for winds and tam tam


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## tgtr0660

I like all of them. But probably the best is Romeo and Juliet. 

I like 1812!


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## TWhite

I'm pretty fond of most all of them (yes, even 1812!), but I voted for Capriccio Italien. It's always been a favorite of mine . Runners-up would definitely be "Romeo and Juliet" and "Marche Slave".

Tom


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## david johnson

i do like that tempest! i voted 1812 'cause it's fun. the best marche slave is the old phase4 stokowski with london...Lord, it's a barn burner 

dj


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## Falstaft

Isn't the love theme from Francesca di Rimini great? Like a blend of the best parts of the slow tunes of Tchaik 4 (2nd mvt) and 6 (1st mvt).


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## JAKE WYB

Im glad to see Francesca level pgging wit R&J because ithink its far better written as a full piece with greater power and originality. But I suppose thats what marks out a well balanced and structured symphonic poem from the overture which tends to be a conglomerate of different sections bungled together - nothin wrong with that of course but when it comes down to a bang on fiery work like Francesca it knocks one aside which is the sort of truly great music - plus seeing as it is a work about love and all that, it is lackig in the sentimental romantic cloying swooning sound of the R&J tune - instead it is more tasteful and human and dramatic in its context


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## Huge

R&J Fantasy overture.

Wonderful stuff.


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## Subutai

Taneyev said:


> Manfred is a tone poem. And IMHO not only the best Piotr ever wrote, but one of the greatest ever written.


Manfred is not a Tone Poem. Tone Poems I feel work better as a single movement work and in less then half the time. I'd call it a Symphony (the clue's in the title) excluding that, 'Symphonic Suite' sums it up better then Tone Poem.


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## Brahmsian Colors

Capriccio Italien, for a very long time.


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## Animal the Drummer

Another vote for "The Tempest". If you haven't already, try to hear Svetlanov's incandescent performance.


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## Highwayman

I chose Fatum and yes I watched the Hurwitz video. :devil:


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## EdwardBast

Another vote for Francesca.


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## Merl

EdwardBast said:


> Another vote for Francesca.


And me too.

.........


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## Roger Knox

This has probably come up many times, but when did concert overtures start to be called "symphonic poems." To me, a concert overture is intended to begin a concert but a symphonic poem usually isn't. Also, the nineteenth-century overture has formal aspects that the symphonic poem doesn't.

If there have been particular reasons and developments in this re-naming, I would be interested in knowing what they are.


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## maestro267

Why is it always the case that long-dead threads get revived by newbies? How the actual hell did you even find it?


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## EdwardBast

maestro267 said:


> Why is it always the case that long-dead threads get revived by newbies? How the actual hell did you even find it?


I think it's by mistaking the last page button on a forum for one on a thread - so, while looking for current posts one is transported back in time.


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## Joachim Raff

Does anyone here think Dorati's 1812 is overrated? Take the canyons and muckets away and what do you have?


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## Heck148

Joachim Raff said:


> Does anyone here think Dorati's 1812 is overrated? Take the canyons and muckets away and what do you have?


Yes...over-rated...I'll take Reiner, any day....


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## Joachim Raff

My favourite 1812 because the choir makes all the difference. It's just a fun piece but you might as well have all the bells and whistles. This one has it all.


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## Rogerx

Romeo and Juliet, so romantic .


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## arpeggio

Interesting 1812 story I have mentioned before:



arpeggio said:


> There is an unusual phenomenon concerning the _1812 Overture _ in the states. It is a tradition here to perform _1812_ at Fourth of July celebrations. I think it was started by Fiedler when he was the conductor of the Boston Pops.
> 
> I have told the following story before in another thread.
> 
> We had an interesting situation concerning our community band. We play at the annual 4th of July celebration. A few years ago the 4th of July committee was complaining that the music we were playing was too pop oriented and they wanted more patriotic music like _Stars and Stripes Forever_ and the _1812 Overture_ (?) Many of the committee did not know the background of the _1812_. They had no idea that it was composed by a gay Russian in 1880 to commemorate the Russian defeat of Napoleon when he invaded Russia. According to a friend who attended the meeting, they back down when our director made the point that if we recognized their criteria, we would have to eliminate _1812_ from the program.


Note: I can answer favorite questions.


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