Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 03/13/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well, I made a mistake ordering this set from Amazon; an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. I figured that since Karajan's companion "2CD" set of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 4-6 was different than those contained on the DG "Collector's Edition" box set, that somehow these recordings of Symphonies 1-3 would be different as well. Wrong! Every performance on this double-disc, including "Marche Slave" and "Capriccio Italien," are identical to the accounts featured on the "Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky" 8CD box. Oh well, at least no one else will make the same mistake as long as they read this review."
Please show me the way to Russia
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/03/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Karajan was never able to rough up his conducting when it was needed. Polish and control were part of his musical personality, which means that when he approached rustic or not-yet-masterful works, like the first three symphonies of Tchaikovsky, he was fairly lost.
This tricky music can easily sound banal and under-composed, as it does here. It needs commitment from someone who feels its Slavic genes. The urbanity Karajan imposes is undermining. His personality fits better with the last three symphonies because, like all masterpieces, they are open to depth of interpretation. If you want to hear the earlier works sound at their dance-like best, I'd recommend Temirkanov on RCA--he doesn't care if he wipes off his boots before coming into the parlor."
Give me Rozhdestvensky 's Angel recordings anyday.
Santa Fe Listener | 03/06/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After listening to the works offered in this 2 CD set, I was struck by the degree of passion, intensity and precision effected by von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic during these recordings compared to that of other artists. More to the point, I have always enjoyed Gennady Rozhdestvensky's renditions of these three symphonies (released in the mid-70's on Melodiya Angel) because of the pacing, fire and sensitivity he was able to draw forth from the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and unfortunately the performances here don't quite match up in my book. They're good, but they simply don't leave the same positive impression after the last note is sounded."
Excellent performances - Typical 70s DG sound - If only....
R. Lane | Tracy, CA USA | 10/31/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Herbert von Karajan's Tchaikovsky interpretations are justly famous and bountiful. The Tchaikovsky 6th was even one of the featured recordings in the world renown post-WWII Vienna Philharmonic recordings. Why was it, then, that he never recorded symphonies 1-3 until the late 1970s? It is a great loss that HVK did not get to record the early symphonies in, say, 1966, when he recorded his best renditions of Sym. 4-6, as well as other pieces, including the Marche Slave and Capriccio Italien feature on disc 2 of the set being reveiwed. His readings are on par with the best of his other Tchaikovsky recordings. But, the recordings of the 3 early syphonies were made during an era (mid-late 1970s) when DG must have had vested interest in a microphone manufacturer, for they used overly large numbers of mics, almost one per instrument, or so it seems. And the results lack atmosphere and reverberency. The same applies to the recordings of symphonies 4-6 made at the same time (Amazon ASIN B000001GYJ).
So, if you want von Karajan conducting Tchaikovsky, you have 2 choices :
1. Buy this set and the 2 CD compilation of the 1960s recordings of symphonies 4-6 (Amazon asin # B000001GCR).
2. Get the 8 cd box (Amazon asin # B00004SA8B), which contains everything in the above sets and more.