Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6

Which of Karajan's three late Tchaikovsky cycles to choose?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like the reviewer below, I heartily welcome the return of Karajan's Tchaikovsky Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth from the mid-Sixties. But it's irksome to find that DG's remastering hasn't solved the thin, brittle, shrill sonics. The opening trumpet fanfare in the Fourth Sym. (1967) sent me scurrying to turn down the volume--cymbals and brass are ear-piercing except at moderate levels, and the big climaxes are marred by an annoying crunch.



I decided to do a sound check on the Fifth (1966) and Sixth (1964). They are little better, and I was shocked to hear lots of raspy trumpet attacks in both the Fourth and Fifth. Wihtout dwelling on this aspect, be prepared for less-than-ideal sound. It took DG's engineers three or four tries to get Karajan's 1963 Beethoven cycle to sound right; it may take that long here, too. The sonics are much improved in his two later sets on DG.



As for interpreatations, Karajan made no radical changes over the years. Direct comparisons would take days--Karajan recorded at least five Pathetiques and four of the other two symphonies. I'd say in general that he sounds fresh, alert, and direct in these Sixties recordings; there's no attempt to inflate the music or make it feel important. All the waltz movements are light and lilting. The finale of the Pathetique in every Karajan performance is light and melancholy rather than tragic. The overall timings tend to be quickish in the Sixties compared to his other accounts.



In general, you can skip this set if you have either of his DG versions from Berlin (late Seventies) and Vienna (live, late Eighties just before his death). The Vienna ones are infused with a touching autumnal quality that I cherish, but tempos have gotten a bit slack at times. The big misfire is an EMI cycle from the early Seventies, which is over-inflated and recorded in murky, congested sound.



One should also note that Karajan's style of Tchaikovsky conducting--straightforward and Germanic--feels unidiomatic beside the best Russians, particularly Mravinsky. Good as his performances could be, Karajan wasn't a supreme conductor of Tchaikovsky, a conclusion I've come to now that I own nearly every vesion he made."

Karajan's 1960s Tchaikovsky Finally!

R. Lane | Tracy, CA USA | 01/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since the dawn of the Compact Disk in the early 1980s I have awaited the reissue of Herbert von Karajan's recordings of the Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4,5, and 6 from the 1960s. Those recordings certainly eclipse all of Karajan's other recordings of these works. The sound has a warmth and reality to it, especially when put alongside the very dry recordings from the late 70s. The readings of the fourth and sixth are very similar to other Karajan renditions. but the fifth stands out in this rendition. It sounds more deeply felt, less obtuse than his other recordings.
Walk a mile, or more, to get this one! Accept no substitutes!
Now if only Universal would do the same for HVKs 1960s Brahms recordings too!"

4.5 stars!

Brother John | The O.C. | 01/18/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I would have to rate Karjan's set fractionally below his DG remakes from the 70's - which were his finest statements on these symphonies. Sound quality issues isn't the problem. The 1964 Pathetique is quite warm and lush, compared to the slightly earlier 5th (which musically doesn't quite match his later accounts). The 1967 4th symphony is just simply wonderful. The bass is a little dry as compared to his 1977 recording, but it is a little cleaner too. It is extremely intense and moving, nontheless. Certainly among the finest 4ths around.

Stay away from Karajan's early 70's Tchaikovsky 4,5,& 6 versions on EMI. Sound is just not quite right and the playing seems sub-par. One can tell that his heart is just not into those versions."