# Tchaikovsky - Op. 36 - Symphony No. 4



## HansZimmer (11 mo ago)

How do you rate this piece?

USSR State TV and Radio Symphony Orchestra 
Conductor: Gennady Rozhdestvensky


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Really good with amazing melodies although the 1st and 2nd movement could be shorter and the structure wouldn’t suffer IMO but I’m hardly an expert. I like Mravinsky/LPO


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

One of Tchaikovsky's best works, my favorite among them. I especially enjoy Karl Bohm's late life (1980) recording with London Symphony.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I also love Stokowski's bizarre interpretation/arrangement with American Symphony Orchestra. Martin Bookpsan once called it one of his "horrors" in classical music and the Penguin Guide chided Stoki for bringing in the trombones 4 measures early in the first movement and his regular use of tenuto throughout. Nonetheless it's extraordinarily compelling.

Another good one is Bernstein with New York Philharmonic from the 1950s. Willful conductors seem to bring out the music best.

Thank God the historically informed movement hasn't been able to destroy it ... though Anima Eterna tried without success. Ironically their recording turned out a most wonderful Nutcracker suite.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

This symphony is so much fun to listen to, but it's even more exciting to play and from experience, conducting it is a thrill everyone should experience! It's unfortunate that so many conductors try to over play it and make it into Mahler. Nor is it a concerto for orchestra. Too many conductors seem to think that the faster the finale goes the better. Not so! But pushing the coda can really raise the adrenaline. It does not lack for excellent recordings. Maazel on Telarc, Tugan Sokhiev, Daniel Gatti are among my favorites in modern, digital sound.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

This one is a true delight. My favorite version is Abbado with the Vienna Philharmonic.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Excellent. It's one of my favorite symphonies by Tchaikovsky. I especially enjoy it's dramatic and exciting first movement, and those very original, unusual string pizzicatos in the third. I don't know many recordings of this symphony, but I usually listen it with the Jansons/Oslo PO, that I far prefer over the more popular but to me excentric, too elastic Mravinsky/Leningrad PO. I rate it as an 8.5 out of 10 in terms of how much I enjoy it.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Very good , love the piece, favourites : Riccardo Muti-Antal Doráti and Igor Markevitch.
I believe there are no really bad ones.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

I voted Good. Tchaikovsky's not a particular favourite of mine but this symphony in the right hands (my nomination being Szell and the LSO) is a worthwhile listen.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

Excellent! Favorite recording is the DG stereo account by Mravinsky with the Leningrad Phil. Other fine recordings include Dorati/LSO, Muti/Philharmonia and Maazel/Vienna.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I find the "fate fanfare" a bit annoying and also the finale too noisy but the middle movements and the main section of the first movement are very good.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

larold said:


> I also love Stokowski's bizarre interpretation/arrangement with American Symphony Orchestra. Martin Bookpsan once called it one of his "horrors" in classical music and the Penguin Guide chided Stoki for bringing in the trombones 4 measures early in the first movement and his regular use of tenuto throughout. Nonnoetheless it's extraordinarily compelling.


Stoki's renditions of Tchaik 4 are as crazy as his of the "Firebird"....his NBC version of Tchaik 4 from 40s is totally over the edge...really bizarre, but the orchestra plays it!!



> Another good one is Bernstein with New York Philharmonic from the 1950s.....


Yes...if i have to listen to it that's one I'd put on...Solti and Mravinsky are good too.
I really don't like the piece, and i got totally sick of playing it (and#5)...way overprogrammed, too much melodrama, hair-tearing, histrionic chest-thumping...I'll take Syms 1-3 any day over 4,5....


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

bharbeke said:


> This one is a true delight. My favorite version is Abbado with the Vienna Philharmonic.



Agree with Abbado's early Vienna recording being a great recording of the symphony. Also a fine recording of the Second Symphony with the Philharmonia.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

The inner movements are perfect and the orchestration throughout is brilliant—unfussy, very nearly idiot proof, with bright primary colors and euphonious contrasts. The first movement is the type specimen for the dramatic Russian variant of sonata form where the recap begins with the second theme, an exaggeration of tendencies in middle period Beethoven that was a model for every major Russian composer after him. I voted excellent.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Re the string pizzicato movement: Was there any symphony with a pizzicato movement before this one?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Rogerx said:


> Very good , love the piece, favourites : Riccardo Muti-Antal Doráti and Igor Markevitch.
> I believe there are no really bad ones.


Oh, but you'd be so wrong. The great conductor Constantine Silvestri managed to really make a mess of the whole symphony. What in the world was he thinking? Just listen to the opening and you'll hear all you need to know. That motto theme - or its rhythm - is totally warped and totally WRONG through the whole 45 minute symphony. Dreadful stuff.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

mbhaub said:


> Oh, but you'd be so wrong. The great conductor Constantine Silvestri managed to really make a mess of the whole symphony. What in the world was he thinking? Just listen to the opening and you'll hear all you need to know. That motto theme - or its rhythm - is totally warped and totally WRONG through the whole 45 minute symphony. Dreadful stuff.



Thank goodness I am not robot who can remember anything and everything. 
No pun intended


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I originally voted 'very good', but I've since changed my vote to 'excellent'. I think this is an outstanding symphony. I think the movement with the pizzicato strings played throughout goes on a bit too long, but the whole symphony is loaded with some stunning moments. I listened to the live recording with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on Columbia (Sony) yesterday (Bernstein recorded this work twice for Columbia) and enjoyed the performance very much. It certainly sits nicely along with all the other performances I enjoy: Mravinsky, Jurowski and Markevitch (to name a few).


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## Scherzi Cat (8 mo ago)

This is a very good symphony, but it doesn't, imo, rise to the excellence of the 5th and 6th. Out of all of Tchaikovsky's works, it doesn't quite make my top ten favorites list.


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