Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony no 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter daydreams': 1st movement, Allegro tranquillo
2. Symphony no 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter daydreams': 2nd movement, Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
3. Symphony no 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter daydreams': 3rd movement, Scherzo 'Allegro scherzando giocoso'
4. Symphony no 1 in G minor, Op. 13 'Winter daydreams': 4th movement, Finale 'Andante lugubre'
5. Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32

Disc 2:

1. Symphony no 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian': Andante sostenuto 'Allegro vivo'
2. Symphony no 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian': Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
3. Symphony no 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian': Scherzo 'Allegro molto vivace'
4. Symphony no 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian': Finale 'Moderato assai'
5. Symphony no 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish': Tempo di marcia funebre Moderato assai
6. Symphony no 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish': Alla tedesca 'Allegro moderato e semplice'
7. Symphony no 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish': Andante elegiaco
8. Symphony no 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish': Scherzo 'Allegro vivo'

Disc 3:

1. Symphony no 3 in D major, Op. 29 'Polish': Tempo di polacca 'Allegro con fuoco'
2. Romeo and Juliet Overture
3. Symphony no 4 in F minor, Op. 36: 1st movement, Andante sostenuto
4. Symphony no 4 in F minor, Op. 36: 2nd movement, Andantino in modo di canzone
5. Symphony no 4 in F minor, Op. 36: 3rd movement, Scherzo
6. Symphony no 4 in F minor, Op. 36: 4th movement, Allegro con brio

Disc 4:

1. Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58: Lento lugubre
2. Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58: Vivace con spirito
3. Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58: Andante con moto
4. Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58: Allegro con fuoco
5. Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique': 1st movement, Adagio - Allegro non troppo

Disc 5:

1. Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique': 2nd movement, Allegro con grazia
2. Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique': 3rd movement, March 'Allegro molto vivace'
3. Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique': 4th movement, Finale - Adagio lamentoso
4. Symphony no 5 in E minor, Op. 64: 1st mvt, Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace
5. Symphony no 5 in E minor, Op. 64: 2nd movement, Andante cantabile
6. Symphony no 5 in E minor, Op. 64: 3rd movement, Waltz
7. Symphony no 5 in E minor, Op. 64: 4th movement, Andante maestoso

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7863 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-14
• Number of discs: 5
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .44 pounds
• Running time: 378 minutes

Customer Reviews

One of the great Tchaikovsky cycles
Having owned this set from its original LP incarnation I have never understood its relative under-appreciation. It is NOT the Tchaikovsky of the febrile Mravinsky/Leningrad mould (which is also marvellous). Instead we get a unified vision - a genuinely coherent through view of Tchaikovsky's symphonic cycle. These were recorded early in Rostropovitch's transition from cellist to conductor and were recorded in tandem with a series of London performances over a matter of weeks in the mid-70's. Everything about them is a testament to that golden age of recording. The Kingsway Hall resounds to the gloriously rich sounds of the LPO with superb analogue engineering by a vintage EMI production team. There is real personality oozing out of every facet of these performances. Perhaps it is the fact that they are ones person's powerful view that means they will never be a "library recommendation" (a phrase which means to my mind a safe option offending the least number of people). There is weight and power from the strings, truly glorious horn playing (has fate in the 4th symphony ever sounded so implacable)and characterful woodwind and incisive brass. All topped off by the most entertainingly virtuosic timp playing I know - he rewrites the parts to provide chromatic bass-doubling lines that might not be authentic but add enormously to the sense of something live and real. Add a monumental Manfred (again the horns at the end of the first movement thrill) and a beautifully paced Romeo & Juliet AND Francesa da Rimini. Snap up this set for the ridiculously bargain price it is here - barely the cost of one normal CD on the high street and enjoy. The only little flaw is that a couple of symphonies are split over discs. But then how quickly have we forgotten how we used to flip over LP's and cassettes every 25 minutes! I have many other recording of Tchaikovsky symphonies but this remains the benchmark set to which I return - for me one of the GREAT bargain sets available now. A magnificent reminder of Rostropovich's greatness and also just how good the LPO were 35 years or so ago. Writing about this makes me want to go straight back and listen to them all over again.