Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Orchestra: Russian National Orchestra
Conductor: Mikhail Pletnev
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Pentatone
Catalogue: PTC5186381
Release: 2012
Size: 927 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 ‘Winter Daydreams’
01. I. Allegro tranquillo (Dreams of a Winter Journey)
02. II. Adagio cantabile ma non tanto (Land of Desolation, Land of Mists)
03. III. Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso
04. IV. Finale: Andante lugubre – Allegro maestoso
05. Marche slave, Op. 31
Mikhail Pletnev’s 2012 release of Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 in G minor, “Winter Dreams,” is a sonic showcase, presented in the multichannel super audio format and given the best reproduction PentaTone can provide. This Romantic symphony offers much in the way of atmospheric orchestration and dreamy moods, and some of the most memorable passages are soft and evocative of misty Russian landscapes, so it really helps to have these delicate effects reproduced through sensitive direct stream digital recording. But when the Russian National Orchestra rises to its climaxes, which are many in Tchaikovsky’s passionate and exciting music, the surround sound recording captures it all with full spatial dimensions, so the orchestra’s sections have distinctive but balanced placement. Pletnev’s interpretation is a little unusual, insofar as his tempos in the first three movements are considerably slower than one usually hears, and his emphasis on sharp accentuation seems almost mannered. But these are minor considerations in a performance that in other regards is brilliantly executed and quite effective in depicting the melancholy images the composer intended. This hybrid SACD also contains a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s popular Marche Slave, which is as bold and bombastic as the First Symphony is subtle. Highly recommended, especially for audiophiles.