Wow. I had a paper route when I was 11 & after a year, I used my money earned to buy a Montgomery Ward "Airline" reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder. Because it was stereo, my best friend's mom said to me "I'd love to hear Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony in stereo." I'd never heard of it. So, I went to the library, found it, made a recording on my new apparatus and took it to her house, spread out the speakers and delighted her. It immediately became my favorite piece. Little did I know -- sheer luck -- it was Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. Since then, I've heard hundreds of recordings, but I always remember that first one did the trick. I guess that was a lucky day at the library.
Thank you so much for drawing my attention to this. As soon as I finished watching your video I went and streamed this. I'm profoundly moved by this performance. It is so impassioned, the string playing especially. I was just devastated after the first movement and then at the end of the finale. I genuinely feel that I have just listened to one of the greatest recordings ever (certainly of this piece). Tchaikovsky was one of the great masters of the romantic period and surely this is one of the greatest symphonies of the second half of the 19th century. I remember Tovey's words that "the slow finale, with its complete simplicity of despair, is a stroke of genius which solves all the artistic problems that have proved most baffling to symphonic writers since Beethoven." Personally, I've loved Tchaikovsky's music since I was 14 and shared this with my late grandmother (who always referred to the composer as 'my beloved Tchaik'). So I'm glad to be reminded of her also. Someone once said to me how can you love this piece and listen to it regularly when it's so despairing. I always think of something Oscar Wilde said about how people will sometimes describe certain works of art as "morbid". As Wilde put it what is morbidity but a mood that an artist might express. And as he says the artist himself is never morbid because he expresses everything. The 6th Symphony is clearly the work of a man full of joy full of life and of despair all at once. So again thank you for talking about this performance and for everything else you do on this channel.
On your recommendation I acquired the Ferenc Fricsay's version and I am glad I did because it is absolutely wonderful. Thanks you very much, dear Dave.
First and foremost, I must thank you Dave and congratulate you upon your marvellous music channel. I am a dedicated subscriber for some years now but have never submitted a comment up to now. I must agree with your earlier follower who chose Mravinsky with the Leningrad Philharmonic, the CD box set from 1978 of the 4th, 5th and 6th is a treasure box indeed.I have to hope that younger fans will consider your recommendations when building their classical collection. I however, while convinced from time to time to purchase some new recommended recording, I have to be careful not to become an addict without a budget or storage space like you. My name is Cody not Rockefeller. Thanks for the magnificent, musical often magic movement that you have created. Wishing you continued success. Sincerely. Seamus
Since you brought up Markevitch on a recent video, his recording of this symphony on LP with Berlin is also very nice. I own the Giulini on LP and concur that it is splendid.
It was Giulini's recording that won me over to the Pathetique many decades ago. (I don't know if it was the same recording, but it was a Seraphim LP.) What had previously stood in the way of my appreciation of this symphony was that the March sounded ridiculously pompous, especially from those conductors who broadened the tempo at the final repetition of the main tune. But by keeping the march zipping along, the way I heard it was transformed. Quite a revelation for me at the time.
After listening to this performance, the thing that will keep me from bothering with it again are the very mediocre sonics. Overall the sound lacks clarity and impact, and in some places there are weird distortions and artifacts. It really affects the woodwinds especially. This is also the case with one of the recent “greatest” recordings of Shostakovich 8 with Mravinsky conducting. Again, not taking away from the performance itself, but the old and inadequate sonics diminish the experience.
@@b286guy I don't recall the bad sound, it was so many decades ago. But I do remember it was on the Seraphim label, which even back then I detested for its muddy sound. And I was no audiophile.
thank you for this excellent commentary and review 💜i am celebrating my 50th anniversary of the Pathetique in my record collection...an absolute classic & favorite & masterpiece for my lifetime 💙heard many good recordings but never my ideal one...yet...
This particular recording is available to download at a modest cost along with Symphony No 2 and a couple of Overtures as a bonus! I'll add it to my shopping list and add Tubin Symphony No 4 Volmer, thanks to your recommendation.
Dave you never cease to surprise me, I was expecting Mravinsky, Sanderling or Karajan - not a conductor from sun drenched Puglia. Tchaikovsky was bi-polar, the 6th was his version of saying "enough".
Wow. I had a paper route when I was 11 & after a year, I used my money earned to buy a Montgomery Ward "Airline" reel-to-reel stereo tape recorder. Because it was stereo, my best friend's mom said to me "I'd love to hear Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony in stereo." I'd never heard of it. So, I went to the library, found it, made a recording on my new apparatus and took it to her house, spread out the speakers and delighted her. It immediately became my favorite piece. Little did I know -- sheer luck -- it was Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. Since then, I've heard hundreds of recordings, but I always remember that first one did the trick. I guess that was a lucky day at the library.
Great reminiscence😊 thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for drawing my attention to this. As soon as I finished watching your video I went and streamed this. I'm profoundly moved by this performance. It is so impassioned, the string playing especially. I was just devastated after the first movement and then at the end of the finale. I genuinely feel that I have just listened to one of the greatest recordings ever (certainly of this piece).
Tchaikovsky was one of the great masters of the romantic period and surely this is one of the greatest symphonies of the second half of the 19th century. I remember Tovey's words that "the slow finale, with its complete simplicity of despair, is a stroke of genius which solves all the artistic problems that have proved most baffling to symphonic writers since Beethoven."
Personally, I've loved Tchaikovsky's music since I was 14 and shared this with my late grandmother (who always referred to the composer as 'my beloved Tchaik'). So I'm glad to be reminded of her also.
Someone once said to me how can you love this piece and listen to it regularly when it's so despairing. I always think of something Oscar Wilde said about how people will sometimes describe certain works of art as "morbid". As Wilde put it what is morbidity but a mood that an artist might express. And as he says the artist himself is never morbid because he expresses everything. The 6th Symphony is clearly the work of a man full of joy full of life and of despair all at once.
So again thank you for talking about this performance and for everything else you do on this channel.
It’s been Fricsay for me ever since Dave recommended it. I own the Giulini and must now listen to it again.
Fricsay’s Pathetique has always been my favorite version….Great musicianship above everything!! Greetings from Caracas, VE
On your recommendation I acquired the Ferenc Fricsay's version and I am glad I did because it is absolutely wonderful. Thanks you very much, dear Dave.
First and foremost, I must thank you Dave and congratulate you upon your marvellous music channel. I am a dedicated subscriber for some years now but have never submitted a comment up to now. I must agree with your earlier follower who chose Mravinsky with the Leningrad Philharmonic, the CD box set from 1978 of the 4th, 5th and 6th is a treasure box indeed.I have to hope that younger fans will consider your recommendations when building their classical collection. I however, while convinced from time to time to purchase some new recommended recording, I have to be careful not to become an addict without a budget or storage space like you. My name is Cody not Rockefeller. Thanks for the magnificent, musical often magic movement that you have created. Wishing you continued success. Sincerely. Seamus
Thank you!
Checking it now!
Since you brought up Markevitch on a recent video, his recording of this symphony on LP with Berlin is also very nice. I own the Giulini on LP and concur that it is splendid.
Thanks!
Thank you very much!
A new work for me. Found this recording on youtube , as well as the Fricsay recording you recommended. Quite beautiful. CD on its way to me.
Wonderful!
It was Giulini's recording that won me over to the Pathetique many decades ago. (I don't know if it was the same recording, but it was a Seraphim LP.) What had previously stood in the way of my appreciation of this symphony was that the March sounded ridiculously pompous, especially from those conductors who broadened the tempo at the final repetition of the main tune. But by keeping the march zipping along, the way I heard it was transformed. Quite a revelation for me at the time.
Giuliani takes the march too fast. Superb except for that.
@@aldeflorio5500 Thanks for taking the trouble to contradict me.
After listening to this performance, the thing that will keep me from bothering with it again are the very mediocre sonics. Overall the sound lacks clarity and impact, and in some places there are weird distortions and artifacts. It really affects the woodwinds especially. This is also the case with one of the recent “greatest” recordings of Shostakovich 8 with Mravinsky conducting. Again, not taking away from the performance itself, but the old and inadequate sonics diminish the experience.
@@b286guy I don't recall the bad sound, it was so many decades ago. But I do remember it was on the Seraphim label, which even back then I detested for its muddy sound. And I was no audiophile.
thank you for this excellent commentary and review 💜i am celebrating my 50th anniversary of the Pathetique in my record collection...an absolute classic & favorite & masterpiece for my lifetime 💙heard many good recordings but never my ideal one...yet...
This particular recording is available to download at a modest cost along with Symphony No 2 and a couple of Overtures as a bonus! I'll add it to my shopping list and add Tubin Symphony No 4 Volmer, thanks to your recommendation.
Dave you never cease to surprise me, I was expecting Mravinsky, Sanderling or Karajan - not a conductor from sun drenched Puglia. Tchaikovsky was bi-polar, the 6th was his version of saying "enough".