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The best bargain set of Tchaikovsky symphonies

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a great admirer of Yur Temirkanov, who ranks just behind Gergiev as the most admired of current Russian conductors, even though he is little followed in the U.S. (his tenure with the Baltimore Sym. came and went without much press at all, unlike his successor, Marin Alsop) So far as reputation goes, his bargain set of the Tchaikovsky symphonies, first issued in 1993, lags behind sets by Karajan (one on EMI, one on DG), Jansons in Oslo, Pletnev in St. Peterburg, and Bernstein in NY (Sony), among others.



In addition the recorded sound for his cycle is only average, and the Royal Phil. has no great reputation. But Temirkanov gets some inspsired Tchaikovsky playing, far more natural and idiomatic than the above mentioned sets. As a representative of the great St. Petersburg tradition, along with Gergiev and Mravinsky, Temirkanov has this music in his blood, and you feel it most when he conducts the lesser symphonies (#1,#2,#3) with such autority and drama. Only a handful of non-russian maestros has come close, although of course there's far more competition in the last three symphonies. Overall, at this price I don't see how any lover of these works can resist."