Search - Tchaikovsky, Toscanini :: Manfred Op 58 / Romeo & Juliet

The ever lasting anguish!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 12/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Symphony in four movements after Byron `s Dramatic Poem illustrates such a few the vigorous expressive power of this singular but fascinating writer .In the midst of an uncomprehending and unresponsive world the protagonists of these pieces were authentic outsiders living under the burdensome curse of acute intelligence and sensitivity . The other two "Byronic" works would be Harold in Italy ` s Berlioz and Shumann ' s Manfred .

In Russia Byron's influence had a major repercussion and resonance on composers lasted even longer than in the West . The rise of the late nationalism was not enough to inhibit the Romantic mood in those Russian artists .

The astonishing glorious writers such Pushkin , Gogol and Chejov worked out much more as writers who reflected the social background of the miseries and bureaucracy state but never drowned in those intense waters of consummated internal and passion ; they were orphans of Werther `s Goethe , for instance and the artistic movement stayed behind respect the Western World who walked with awful intensity in multiple directions .

Beware Byron wrote this drama following his scandal provoking affair with his half-sister and surely an inner connection was established between this embarrassing incident and the terrible feelings of guilty in Tchaikovsky for his homosexuality .

Tchaikovsky composed Manfred between April and September 1885.

I want to appoint the skillful resource employed for Tchaikovsky in the musical structure of Manfred . Beware of the somber leit motive in the First Movement and how it is used in the apparent happy melodies which sustain the Second Movement . And later in the first half of the Third Movement will emerge ornamented with a bell clink having as musical landscape the orthodox themes of the Russian Liturgy You feel this insight such a tragic flapping of wings in the same way you can feel the tragic musical theme of the Sixth Symphony in the Last movement extraordinary drawn in Waltz form in the middle of the Second Movement .

Beware this experience when you enter to the Last Movement , this incandescent fury plenty of tragic atmosphere is described with iron strength . You can feel with carefully attention the Death ride before the somber motive of the First Movement . The horns will sustain the melody supported for the strings until the whole orchestra will respond the call . After this tour de force will come a lyrical motive sung by an angelical harp and the strings will be the guards which will lead us step by step in a real musical exhibition of the previous passages . The death motive will make his definitive appearance and the sforzandos of the whole orchestra will precede the sinister and devastating final climax just before the descendent and quiet final accepting finally the will of fate.

Toscanini literally has no any contender in this sublime version live in Carnegie Hall January 10, 1953 . This reading has stature , personality , fierce and above all energetic idiomatic rapture .

Romeo and Juliet is superb . The shadow - light contrasts announce the dramatis personae with majestic radiance , the dramatic conflict appears and the solemn and lyric is played with supreme elegance and broad musical gusto before the enchant melody in waltz rhythm. The tempos are perfect , the most of the versions the emotions are not described gradually and therefore there is no way for you to show the ascendant dramatic level , lacking of that required final punch .

However there are giants contenders such as Munch -Boston, Maazel- Vienna and Bernstein Vienna in the sixties and seventies respectively.

Acquire this superb and magnificent artwork . It is a real musical file !

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