Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: Lisa Batiashvili, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Orchestra: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4790835
Release: 2013
Size: 1.02 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 ‘Pathétique’
01. 1. Adagio – Allegro non troppo
02. 2. Allegro con grazia
03. 3. Allegro molto vivace
04. 4. Finale: Adagio lamentoso – Andante
Romances, Op. 6
05. No.1
06. No.2
07. No.5
08. No.6
Six lieder on poems by Daniel Rathaus, Op. 73
09. No.2
10. No.4
11. No.6
The dynamic young French-Canadian conductor records the symphony that has played a central role in his remarkable career.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin first heard it live in Montreal at the age of eight. It was the work he chose for his debut with both the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Conducting this quintessentially Russian music with the Rotterdam Philharmonic acknowledges his predecessor on the podium, Valery Gergiev, as well as showcasing the depth and refinement of the Dutch orchestra’s rich textures.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin admires Tchaikovsky not just as a composer of heart-breaking melodies but also as a master symphonist. “The point for me is this work’s pervasive lust for life, and the lack of faith in humanity which is the implicit message of the end.”
The symphony is accompanied by two sets of Tchaikovsky’s songs, in arrangements for piano and violin. Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the piano is joined by star violinist Lisa Batiashvili, whose understanding of the original Russian texts colours her interpretation.
At just 37, Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a driving force on the international music scene. He has conducted operas at The Metropolitan, Covent Garden and the Salzburg Festival and concerts with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, he signed a long-term recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon in June 2012.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s first symphonic recording with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon is of Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “Pathétique,” which the conductor has known intimately throughout his career. Due to his familiarity with the music, this is a solid reading that holds its own against the large number of recordings of this symphony, so listeners who need a first-rate version can be assured of the interpretation and the performance. Yet because this is one of the most frequently recorded classical pieces of all time, one may wonder what Nézet-Séguin brings to it that makes his rendition necessary. Perhaps his sense of pacing and calculated use of rubato for dramatic effect make it feel more organic than most, and his sudden shifts of tempo and emphasis on heightened dynamics make this one of the most interesting versions to follow. But in the end, there’s not enough to distinguish it from the competition, so listeners should not expect a major revelation. It’s still the same warhorse. To fill out the CD, Nézet-Séguin accompanies violinist Lisa Batiashvili in a selection of Tchaikovsky’s Romances, Op. 6 and Op. 73, of which the most famous is None but the lonely heart (track 8). These pieces serve as a welcome palate cleanser after the rich but not overly ripe performance of the “Pathétique,” and it’s interesting to hear Nézet-Séguin’s piano playing, which is quite restrained and poetic in feeling. Batiashvili carries the melodic lines with passionate expression and a warm singing tone, so the most compelling music making can be found in these filler tracks.