Search - Robert Schumann, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Otto Klemperer :: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Schumann: Symphony No. 4

A Lack Of Emotion?

David Winstel | Fort Myers, FL USA | 11/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was astounded to read several reviews critical of Klemperer's Pathetique, for a supposed lack of emotion. This recording originally came out (on vinyl) when I was a teenager, and immediately became my favorite in any genre. It so overwhelmed me emotionally that many nights I cried myself to sleep listening to it. And trust me, it takes a lot to make a teenage boy cry in a bedroom he shares with his brothers. I think it's one of the great recordings of all time (and I now own about 3,000 CD's)."

Unusual Tchaikovsky, great Schumann

Andrew R. Weiss | Raleigh, NC USA | 06/28/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Klemperer's Tchaikovsky is an acquired taste. Tchaikovsky is emotional and sentimental. Klemperer may be emotional but sentimental, never. What Klemperer gives us is a Pathetique that pays more attention to the balance of details and overall architecture than to sentimentality and effect. The tempi are slow, as usual for Klemperer in this period of his life, but not waywardly so except in the third movement. Each movement builds inexorably to its climax, and the climaxes themselves are overwhelmingly intense, inexorable, made more effective by Klemperer's stubborn refusal to manipulate tempi and dynamics. The phrasing is loving, beautifully balanced throughout. This is a grim Pathetique, very powerful but not in the mainstream of Tchaikovsky interpretation. I find it one of my favorites, but then again, I am not a big fan of sentimental posturing. The Schumann is one of the best versions of that symphony I've ever heard. The textures are transparent, and Klemperer's awareness of the piece's overall structure lends it more coherence than in most performances. This is a virile and energetic reading, even given the relatively slow tempi. Klemperer works with Schumann's original orchestration, which some have called muddy, but because he is so careful and clear in delineating the lines and textures, all of the details are clear and balanced. I recommend this recording for the Schumann, and for the Tchaikovsky if you are open to a different point of view. The sound is suitable spacious in the Tchaikovsky and detailed, and lighter, in the Schumann."

Klemperer's Pathetique

Andrew R. Weiss | 12/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"klemperer once again convinced the listeners. He creates, builds up the tension from the beginning until the end at the Pathetique Symhony. The third movement is beautifully phrased and the last movement is very unsentimental and one really feels pathetique at the end, it is like a Kafka novel to be precise. Do not miss!"