# What Are Your Top Five Tchaikovsky Symphony Cycles?



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

Inspired by Itullian's similar thread. What are your favorite five Tchaikovsky Symphony cycles?

You are free to include or exclude Manfred in your definition of cycle. Not every conductor has included Manfred in their "cycle".

Feel free to expound on why a particular cycle appeals to you, strong points, weak points, nostalgia for a particular symphony etc.

Thanks.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I don't have any. The greatest Tchaikovsky conductors -- Stokowski, Bohm, Ormandy, Mravinsky -- never recorded a cycle. Part of the reason is Symphony No. 3 is very unpopular and not up the standards set in the other five. Then there's the question of Manfred and whether or not that is Symphony No. 7 and should be included in any list of complete cycles. Here are some of my favorite individual recordings:

No. 1 -- Maazel and Vienna Philharmonic
No. 2 -- Abbado and Chicago Symphony
No. 4 -- Bohm and London Symphony
No. 5 -- Stokowski and New Philharmonia
No. 6 -- Mravinsky and Leningrad Philharmonic (1984)

I tried repeatedly to listen to and enjoy Symphony 3 and Manfred to no avail.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

1. Temirkanov/RCA
2. Rostropovich/EMI
3. Marketvitch/Philips
4. Karajan/DG
5. Ormandy/RCA

It annoys me that in this digital age we still haven't had a first-rate version. Neeme Jarvi too tepid. I've never liked the Jansons on Chandos. The Bychkov is dull. I'm trying to warm to the Paavo Jarvi, but it too has issues. Aren't there any great Tchaikovsky conductors out there?


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

mbhaub said:


> 1. Temirkanov/RCA
> 2. Rostropovich/EMI
> 3. Marketvitch/Philips
> 4. Karajan/DG
> ...


Try Jurowski’s cycle with the London Philharmonic on their own label. I think it is the best modern cycle.

I am beginning to also sample Petrenko’s cycle with the RLPO, but have not listened to the entire cycle. Interesting, but I think I still prefer Jurowski’s. It deserves further listening however.


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Muti does the trick for me if I'm in the mood for a Tchaikovsky symphony, and that doesn't happen very often.


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## advokat (Aug 16, 2020)

Mravinsky (not complete, of course)/Erato/DG
Svetlanov/Scribendum
Karajan/DG
Markevitch/Philips
Muti/Warner


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

For cycles -

Musical *Jurowski/LPO* (LPO), Orthodox *V.Petrenko/RLPO* (Onyx) and streamlined *Jansons/Oslo* (Chandos).

Also charismatic (or idiosyncratic) *Markevitch/LSO* (Philips) and *Rozhdestvensky/MoscowRSO* (Melodiya).

All of them have recorded Manfred, but either it may not be included in a box set release or it is available on another label.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

1 Markevitch / London SO (Philips)
2 Jansons / Oslo Phil (Chandos)
3/4 Muti / Philadelphia & Philharmonia (EMI)
3/4 Haitink / Concertgebouw (Philips)
5/6 Mehta / Los Angeles Phil (Decca)
5/6 Pletnev / Russian National (DG)

I don't know the Jurowski and Petrenko cycles though.
And I have only no. 4-6 of the complete Lorin Maazel / Wiener Phil (Decca) cycle, and those performances are very good. So I expect his integral is also pretty darn good.
Same goes for Antal Dorati. I like his set of the orchestral suites very much, so... his Mercury Living Presence symphonies set could well be a gem, too.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I could name a few half cycles - the last three, "big", symphonies: Mravinsky, Celibidache (Munich), Gergiev for example. But for the earlier three I prefer different sources for each of the symphonies.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Enthusiast said:


> I could name a few half cycles - the last three, "big", symphonies: Mravinsky, Celibidache (Munich), Gergiev for example. But for the earlier three I prefer different sources for each of the symphonies.


No question, Mravinsky is awesome in 4-6.
Haven't heard any recording of his 1-3 (yet?).

Gergiev's Pathétique with the Kirov/Mariinsky orchestra is a very exciting recording imho. The later one with the Wiener Phil... less so.

But this is a bit off-topic, cuz it is an 'integral' thread.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Marc said:


> No question, Mravinsky is awesome in 4-6.
> Haven't heard any recording of his 1-3 (yet?).
> 
> Gergiev's Pathétique with the Kirov/Mariinsky orchestra is a very exciting recording imho. The later one with the Wiener Phil... less so.
> ...


I don't think Mravinsky recorded the first three, A shame. Agree about Gergiev's Vienna 6th. His Vienna 5th, however, is really good.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

No one beats Mravinsky in 4-6. The rest I don't listen to often.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> No one beats Mravinsky in 4-6. The rest I don't listen to often.



Take another listen to Nos. 1-3. IMHO you are missing a lot of great music.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

haziz said:


> Take another listen to Nos. 1-3. IMHO you are missing a lot of great music.


You bet...i enjoy 1-3 much more than 4 , 5...


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Top Five:
Svetlanov and the Russian Federation Symphony Orchestra (Exton)
Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw (Philips/Decca) - very solid, consistent set.
Jurowski and the LPO (LPO label)
Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Large Radio Symphony (Melodiya)
Muti and the Philharmonia (EMI)

Individually, though:
1: Muti and the Philharmonia (EMI)
2 (original 1872 version): Simon and the London Symphony (Chandos)
3: Muti and the Philharmonia (EMI)
4: Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony (Decca)
5: Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (DG)
6: Asahina and the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra (Tobu Recordings)
7: Neemi Jarvi and the London Philharmonic (Chandos)
Manfred: Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony (Melodiya)


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