Pletnev: Tchaikovsky – Piano Concertos, Symphony Pathetique, The Seasons, Piano Pieces (4 CD box set, FLAC)

Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: George Ives, Mikhail Pletnev
Orchestra: London Philharmonia Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra
Conductor: Vladimir Fedoseyev, Mikhail Pletnev
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 4 CD box set
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Virgin Classics
Size: 896 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
with Mikhail Pletnev
Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev

Concert Fantasia, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in G major, Op. 56
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
with George Ives, Mikhail Pletnev
Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
with Alexander Rudin, Mikhail Pletnev, Alexej Bruni
Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev

Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. post. 75
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra
with Mikhail Pletnev
Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev

Symphony No. 6 in B minor (“Pathétique”), Op.74
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Russian National Orchestra
Conducted by Mikhail Pletnev

Slavonic March, for orchestra, Op. 31
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Russian National Orchestra
Conducted by Mikhail Pletnev

Morceaux (6) composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Russian National Orchestra
Conducted by Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Introduction
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Danse des pages
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Vision d’Aurore
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Andante
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 La Fée – Argent
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Le Chat botté et la Chatte blanche
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Gavotte
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Canari qui chante
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Le Chaperon rouge et le loup
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Adagio
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66 Finale
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
with Mikhail Pletnev

Disc: 1
01. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: 1. Allegro non troppo
02. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: 2. Andante semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo 1
03. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: 3. Allegro con fuoco

04. Concert Fantasia, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in G major, Op. 56: 1. Quasi rondo
05. Concert Fantasia, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in G major, Op. 56: 2. Contrastes

Disc: 2
01. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44: 1. Allegro brillante
02. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44: 2. Andante non troppo
03. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44: 3. Allegro con fuoco
04. Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. post. 75

Disc: 3
01. Symphony No. 6 in B minor (‘Pathétique’), Op. 74: 1. Adagio – Allegro
02. Symphony No. 6 in B minor (‘Pathétique’), Op. 74: 2. Allegro con grazia
03. Symphony No. 6 in B minor (‘Pathétique’), Op. 74: 3. Allegro molto vivace
04. Symphony No. 6 in B minor (‘Pathétique’), Op. 74: 4. Finale. Adagio lamentoso

05. Slavonic March, for orchestra, Op. 31

06. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 1. Prélude
07. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 2. Fugue à 4 voix
08. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 3. Impromptu
09. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 4. Marche funèbre
10. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 5. Mazurque
11. Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, for piano, Op. 21: 6. Scherzo

Disc: 4
01. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Introduction
02. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Danse des pages
03. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Vision d’Aurore
04. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Andante
05. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: La Fée – Argent
06. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Le Chat botté et la Chatte blanche
07. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Gavotte
08. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Canari qui chante
09. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Le Chaperon rouge et le loup
10. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Adagio
11. The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, Op. 66: Finale

12. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 1. Janvier (Au coin du feu)
13. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 2. Février (Carnaval)
14. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 3. Mars (Chant de l’alouette)
15. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 4. Avril (Perce-neige)
16. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 5. Mai (Les nuits de mai)
17. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 6. Juin (Barcarolle)
18. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 7. Juillet (Chant des moissonneurs)
19. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 8. Août (La moisson)
20. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 9. Septembre (La chasse)
21. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 10. Octobre (Chant d’automne)
22. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 11. Novembre (Course en troïka)
23. The Seasons, for piano, Op. 37: 12. Décembre (Noël)

Very Impressive…

this review concerns the piano concerto recordings. Pletnev and Fedoseyev and the Philharmonia play like a house on fire, and Pletnev delivers a refreshingly classical interpretation of the music..appropriate for music by a composer who loved Mozart.

Pletnev delivers a big performance that is, at the same time, utterly transparent at all times. No matter how treacherously difficult the music gets, he never comes close to losing his sange froide. But the performance is never cold. Pletnev and Fedoseyev capture Tchaikovsky’s mercurial quality as well as anyone and better than most.

Most of all though, it just sounds as if Pletnev and Fedoseyev thought long and carefully about these performances..they understand this music from the inside out and nothing escapes them. Phrasing, in particular, has classical clarity and awareness that VERY few musicians every manage to find in these concertos. At the same time, this is deeply thrilling playing, especially in the outer movements. There is always a wonderful sense of occasion, and kudos to the Philharmonia, playing on the edge of their seats without ever breaking a sweat.

Additional kudos to the recording engineers, for making an ideal recording in every respect: ambience, inner-detail, attacks, dynamic range, overall perspective, solo perspective, are all simply perfect.

I have to confess to a soft-spot for Tchaikovsky’s second concerto, which is, to me, a significantly better concerto than the first, although the first is much better-known…and Pletnev just plays the be-jeebers out of it, especially in the last movement, music and playing that would move a stone. You’ll be on the edge of your seat yourself.

In short, this recording was when it was made, and still is, at the very top of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto recordings.