Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4; Romeo and Juliet

Very Exciting Tchaikovsky Fourth with Great Sound Quality!

goodmusicman | USA | 04/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a bit baffled to read the customer review here which said the orchestra sounds ragged, and the sound inferior, which leads him to recommend Barenboim's recording instead. The Solti recording is easily one of the most exciting recordings out there, with extremely powerfull brass and very polished, precise, and fervent orchestral playing throughout. The first movement climaxes are shattering in their intensity, the scherzo is playful and colorful, while the finale offers some of the most heart-stopping excitement you'll ever hear in music. Tempos are very well judged all around. (Only the second movement is a bit too slow, but this is a minor complaint, since it sounds very good anyway). The recorded sound is truly of demonstration quality, every detail is clear and sharp, and the brass sounds like it's being played in your room!



Barenboim's recording is a huge failure when compared with Solti's: the brass sounds weak and muffled, the tempos are almost always off (i.e. too fast or too slow), and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. The only truly superior performance of this work is the Mravinsky/Leningrad on a DG 2-CD set. But the set is sold at full price and the analog sound quality is good, but not great. The highly-praised Jansons recoding on Chandos costs almost twice as much as the Solti and comes with nothing else on the CD; besides, the Oslo Philharmonic is neither as polished nor as powerful as the Chicago Symphony. Therefore, Solti's recording is easily recommendable as a first choice, especially if price is a factor (and even if it isn't). Add in a very dramatic and incisive recording of the Romeo and Juliet Overture and you have a CD that you should not hesitate to buy."

CSO great, Solti - NOT a Tchaikovsky man

Alan Altman | Miami, Florida | 05/25/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I too agree that this CSO/ Solti collaboration is questionable.

Since the introduction of the 33 1/3 rpm record, I have owned many Tchaikovsky 4th recordings starting with finest ever recorded(currently,not available in the USA????? by BMG Japanese Victor ),the Munch / Boston Symphony collaboration of 1957. This performance and the recording itself blows the highly coveted benchmark, the Monteux/BSO of 1958(now avail. here on XRCD-Japanese Victor), out of the proverbial water, as well. Both of those recordings used the same orchestra, same hall(on Huntington Ave in Boston),were recorded one year apart from one another, and used the same "Living Stereo" equipment. The only difference was the conductor. More about the "conductor" later. Also, the Gergiev, Muti, and Bernstein as well as the Tilson-Thomas, recordings are, in total, superior to the CSO/Solti.



Yes, the CSO brass has no equal, and that is the singular saving grace of this recording.



First, the earlier reviewer is correct, the tempos are ragged, very unlike Chicago, but, this is not the fault of the orchestra and their abilities. It is Solti who is the problem.....he is NOT a Russian interpreter......... Mahler, Brahms, Beethoven, etc. certainly....and, among the best, as well, but not Tchaikovsky. His tempo's in the first movement cause the orchestra to have ragged staccato passages. This is because his rubato is so severe that it is difficult to follow (in fact, there is little rubato written). In the 4th movement, frankly, the tempo is rediculous, the earlier reviewer is correct. The tempo is marked "Allegro con Fuoco"...translated...fast with fire. This means dynamism, passion and intensity. It is not marked Presto,Prestissimo nor is it marked Vivace. The Chicago Symphony, possibly, the finest orchestra this country has ever produced, (along with Szell's Cleveland, Philadelphia, N.Y.Phil, Boston, et.al,), almost falls apart in it's inability to negotiate the 4th movement at such rediculously break-neck speeds. Herseth("the grrrreat")and his forces can do anything and manage to save the day. Also, in the tutti passages, the horn section harkens back to the days of Philip Farkas and Reiner, but even the vaunted Chicago trombones fall apart during an running 1/8th note passage!!!!!

One final thing, Solti's vocalized grunting and groaning on this recording is unforgiveable. The engineers should have figured out a way to avoid the problems with the michrophone placement. It reminds one of the Toscannini recording on RCA of "La Boheme" where the conductor hums along with every note....rediculous!!"

Great recording.

Gilbert Hernandez | Lubbock, TX USA | 03/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Both the Fourth Symphony and Romeo and Juliet are everything you've come to expect from the Chicago Symphony and Solti. Awesome virtuosity at a bargain price. Can't go wrong with this disc."