Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Zubin Mehta, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: The Symphonies [Box Set]

Finally back in the catalog & at a bargain price too.

S. Baird | Baton Rouge, LA United States | 05/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The very first recording I bought featuring Zubin Mehta at the podium just happened to be Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet coupled with the 1812 Overture, back when the record was first released. I was just a young guy then, and you could say that it was Zubin Mehta who later tutored me somewhat in learning about classical music. So impressed was I with this record, that I would, for some years afterward, choose a record featuring him as conductor over any others. At one time (in my late twenties) I had nearly every recording that he had done for Decca/London. I had grown to appreciate a certain élan that I found recognizable in his interpretations, and, as a budding audiophile too, the above average sound that his label afforded him meant that I would usually be happy with the sound quality. By the time that Zubin Mehta moved to New York, my own appreciation of classical music had grown such that he was just one of many idols in my own private classical music pantheon.



Still, I continued to buy Mehta's new releases, and a boxed set of the Tchaikovsky symphonies was one purchase I made upon its initial release. As a collection, this ranks with many of my most favorite performances of these symphonies. Overall, it's fair to say that Mehta's panache shines through on them, the Fourth Symphony perhaps the most individual. Here Mehta rushes through the pizzicato third movement a bit more quickly than his predecessors would have, but very much in keeping with the way conductors today like to pace the music. The Sixth, too, comes on briskly, but with all of the bravado the composer intended. I'll concede, though, that I prefer Dorati's performances of the 1st & 2nd on Mercury.



What really separates this set today from others is that for the amount of music one receives for the price, the bonus is the sound quality. Add to that some absolutely wonderful accounts of the other orchestral showpieces included here, and the lagniappe is all the bigger and better. I don't think that the Romeo & Juliet Overture has ever had a better recorded performance."

Brilliant Packaging, Great Track Selections, Too Bad About t

Frederick Baptist | Singapore | 07/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very attractive package of all Tchaikovsky's Symphonies plus selections from the 3 famous ballets and other symphonic works like the Romeo and Juliet and 1812 Overtures. The cardboard box is slim and the 5 discs fit very snugly in this box which comes with an attractive booklet to boot. The sound quality, however, is abysmal; straining my ears at a high volume level, it's clear that Zubin Mehta and the L.A. PO are not at fault as their interpretations of the master's works are very good but the alleged remastering work needs to be seriously redone.



You can hardly even hear the first 2 discs and what makes this even more ludicrous is the fact that even the 1812 Overture sounds soft! Volume levels improve only slightly on the other discs but overall this is one of the worst classical cds, sound quality-wise that I've ever heard. Too bad though as everything else about this package was very good. Another prime example of not judging a book by its cover.



Give this a miss."

Bargain price, Decca sonics, but only so-so conducting

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I think about the trajectory of Mehta's career, the best decade is the first when he was the darling of Los Angeles and much of the classical music world. This was his period of energetic, passionate conducting, followed by a steady, sad decline into mediocrity. But this Tchakovsky cycle belies such a pat story, since a good deal of it is mediocre, too, and yet it comes from Mehta's prime period (excepting a later remake of the Sym. #4). The best things about it are the super-budget price (about half of what Naxos charges nowadays) and the vibrant Decca sonics, which make the LA Phil. of that era sound quite exciting.



As for the interpretations, the earlier symphonies come off best, especially Sym #1 "Winter Dreams," which is light and balletic in Mehta's hands. The close microphone placement takes us right into the middle of the woodwinds, so there are lots of delicious sounds even when Tchaikovsky's writing isn't first rate. But by contrast, Sym. #2 "The Little Russian" sounds rather flabby and uninvolving. Who knows why? In place of the crisp tempos in the First Sym., every movement moves without energy.



Sym. #3 "Polish" is the most problematic of the six, and few conductors can make its sprawling structure and halting rhythms cohere. Mehta does better than most. He gives us springy rhythms and lovely detail from the winds. I'd rate this version higher than those from Karajan, Abbado, and perhps even Bernstein. Mehta seems to understand why this symphony made such successful ballet music (in "Jewels") for Balanchine.



Now we arrive at Tchaikovsky's three late masterpieces, where the competition is brutal. To excel in Sym. 4-6, a conductor must be either very profound or very Russian. Mehta is neither. We know we're in for a dull slog from th outset of Sym. #4, which is inert, prettily played, and superficial. The Decca engineers supply some visceral mpact, particularly in the explosive finale, but nothing explodes from the podium.



Along the way to Sym. #5 we get a number of fillers (the 1812 Over., suite from Swan Lake, Capriccio Italien, etc.) but they are played like run-throughs. The same holds true for the Fifth itself, which is performaed in the same cautious mode as the Fourth. Again, the opening bars make the fate motif sound casual rather than mysterious and pregnant with meaning. The two inner movements are pretty, and the finale, where almost eveyr conductor knows how to bust out of the corral with a wild ride, is quite tame here.



So we end with the Pathetique, arriving without much hope for any real depth or drama. In fact, Mehta delivers a minor surprise when he energizes the first movement, aided as ever by the Decca engineers. The 5/4 waltz goes by agreeably, the march that follows is crisp and full of sparkling detail. The climax delivers a good deal of sonic punch. Too bad the wrenching finale swoons and sways without much emotional effect or real tragedy. In all, the Sixth is one of Mehta's better efforts until the end. Finally, A sweet and soothing reading of Romeo and Juliet in gorgeous sound. One has heard better and worse.



So is mediocrity worth it even at an ultra-bargain price? Not to me. For anyone who seeks a bargain set of the Tchaikovsky symphonies, it's hard to beat Temirkanov on RCA, where the conducting comes straight out of the heart of Russia."