Best Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony & Capriccio Italien
John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 01/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Maestro Gatti and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra offer enchanting performances of these two favorite orchestral works by Tchaikovksy; these should be regarded as first choice for anyone interested in acquiring a splendid CD containing both pieces. Gaetti leads the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a lively, spirited performance of Symphony Number 4 that's especially noted for the extremely warm, vibrant tone of the strings. But he yields fine playing too from the rest of the orchestra, including the winds, horns and percussion. Composed a few years after this symphony, Capriccio Italien is a lively, musical sketch of Italy which Tchaikovsky composed as an Impressionist musical homage. Gatti leads his orchestra in a brisk, captivating performance which is indeed a vivid Impressionist musical portait of Italy. Gatti's interpretations of both works not only are among the best currently available, but rank well beside those from the likes of Karajan and Bernstein. Harmonia Mundi's sound engineers have produced a recording whose sound quality is equal to the best I have heard from the major CD recording firms."
An exciting reading, but I miss any emotional depth
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/17/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This Tchaikovsky Fourth is typpical of Gatti's way with the composer -- it's fast, exciting, free-wheeling in tempo, and emotionally spur-of-the-moment. Clearly his approach gets the Amazon reviewer jumping to his feet -- so do London audiences at the Royal Phil.'s concerts -- but I'm not so sure. Skimming the surface of Tchaikovsky's music doesn't work for me; this is a symphony that's already accessible to the novice music lover. Isn't it up to a conductor to find some unexpected depth, or to show us what the music means to him personally?
Gatti tricks up the surface with lots of pushing and pulling, and there's no want of emotional gestures. But I didn't feel engaged beyond superficial excitement. On the plus side, the orchestra seems fired up, and the recorded sound has lots of impact. This could easily be the movie soundtrack to the Tchaikovsky Fourth rather than a concert reading.
As he does in the Fifth and Sixth Sym., Gatti speeds thorugh the first movement for added thrills. But then he keeps the tempo rushed for the lyrical Andantino, robbing it of repose, or at the very least contrast with what came before. The Scherzo thus becomes the third fast or fastish movement. I was impressed by the unity of the string pizzicatos, although there's far more depth in the sound from the Berlin Phil. under Karajan (DG) or the Boston Sym. under Monteux (RCA). Gatti doesn't offer much contrast in the pacing of the Scherzo's perky wind and brass trio. Oddly, he lets the tempo lag as he gets farther in. The Finale moves along but not at a frenetic (or virtuosic) pace. The Russian folksong that forms the second theme feels rushed.
Clearly my enthusiasm for Gatti's Tchaikovsky is limited, but if you want the most headlong Fourth in the catalog, this is probably it."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1
