Search - Tchaikovsky, Ostankino :: Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, symphonic fantasy in E minor, Op. 32 / The Tempest, fantasy-overture in F minor, Op. 18 / Romeo and Juliet, fantasy-overture for orchestra in B minor / The Voyevoda

Richly Delineated

David Saemann | 02/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The only reason this disc does not receive five stars is the sound engineering. Recorded digitally in 1990-1, the sound is frequently murky and not always well balanced. This is a shame, for the performances are among the best you are likely to hear. The Ostankino orchestra, a rather unknown quantity, plays very well for Fedoseyev. Perhaps the best performance is of The Tempest. This work was a favorite of the composer's, which he often conducted. Its big moments may not be as notable as those of his more famous tone poems, but the work is beautifully constructed and Fedoseyev brings out all the salient details. Francesca da Rimini also receives a well thought out traversal, with the flames of Hell as realistically portrayed as you are likely to hear. Romeo and Juliet benefits from the orchestra's Russian coloration, and Voyevoda, reconstructed from orchestral parts after Tchaikovsky had destroyed the score, is an interesting example of the composer's late style. Because of the sound engineering, this CD probably wouldn't be a first choice for these works, but the whole effect certainly is highly absorbing."