Search - Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Jiri Belohlavek, Prague Symphony :: Tchaikovsky: Suites Nos. 1-4 opp. 43, 53, 55, 61 "Mozartiana"

From American Record Guide

Record Collector | Mons, Belgium | 12/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Why haven't the 'Suites' of Tchaikovsky become at least as popular as the ballets? Really, the only difference is the 'classical' format: for this is music that breathes the very air and soul of the dance. As the notes attest, the suite as an art form was basically unheard of in Russian music before Tchaikovsky; in its loose structure and the range of opportunities it offered, the suite as developed by Tchaikovsky could be seen as essentially an expansion of the fantasy-overture (e.g., 'Romeo and Juliet'). Even in the most abstract passages we are never far removed from the stage, nor is it difficult to close one's eyes and conjure up images of swirling dancers in colorful costumes, pirouetting past against a backdrop of glorious orchestral sound such as you will rarely hear emanating from a pit ensemble. The final section of the 'Theme and Variations' that closes out the Third Suite is to these ears the greatest polonaise Tchaikovsky ever wrote, even better than its much more familiar counterpart in 'Eugene Onegin.' Surely Georges Balanchine was no fool when he set this final movement apart as an independent ballet. It is no fluke; some of Tchaikovsky's freshest and most immediately winning music can be heard in all four Suites. If only they were played more often!



"This new set by Jiri Belohlavek and the Prague Symphony is every bit the equal of its predecessors, and in better sound. Nowhere does Belohlavek lapse into the excesses of Svetlanov, for example; nor are the Russian recordings anywhere a match for Supraphon's warm yet detailed sonics. Belohlavek handles his great orchestra with passion and intensity surely borne of great love for the composer's often heart-on-sleeve romanticism. The string sound may not be as plush as the Philadelphia, but it's always resonant and comfortable, with some marvelous playing from the winds and sturdy support from the brass.



"There is much enthusiasm here, much attention to this or that flavorful detail (for example the rollicking accordions in the Second Suite, or the sense of humor Belohlavek brings to the final variations of 'Mozartiana'). If you do not know the Tchaikovsky Suites, here is the best way to make their acquaintance on CD. Even if you are already familiar with these wonderful scores, you'll find new things to cherish."

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