Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet - favorite recordings

[Randy Lane]

I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

The Karajan BPO 1967 DG version was my imprint version, and I find myself returning to it and the other Karajan recordings frequently. The Monteux on Vanguard is certainly indispensable. Giulini's Philharmonia recording from 1962 on EMI is another fave. I keep wishing the Toscanini would find a place in my heart. The same goes for Bernstein.

Abbado is another conductor I would expect to thrive on this work. But I remember being totally disappointed in an Abbado recording with the BSO on DG coupled with the Scriabin Poem of Ecstasy. I was younger then and I have not heard that recording in years; perhaps I might be more favorable now; maybe the weird cover art had something to do with my first reaction. Has it ever been on an international CD? He also did remakes during his Berlin days about 15 years ago on DG and with the CSO as part of a comprehensive Tchaikovsky series on Sony (now available in a Sony Master box real cheap). Are those better than the first DG version? Des anyone think highly of the first DG version?

[Randy Lane]

I found the Abbado BSO recording on a DG budget CD coupled with his amazing VPO Sym #6:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000E4D1

I've had this for years now that I think about it - looks I ripped the 6th only to my online library and then stuffed the disk away - I probably skipped the Romeo because of the previous memories. I know what I'm listening to tonight.

[Randy Lane]

And I just remembered one other recording I've been curious about for year - Sinopoli with the Philharmonia on DG:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000E4HO

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000012VT

OOP, and used prices are quite high. It is available reasonably on an ArckivCD though, so if others feel it is quite good perhaps I'll tolerate the CD-R/Press-On-Demand route:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=11958&name_role1=1&name_id2=56354&name_role2=3&bcorder=H31&album_group=8&comp_id=3196

[Paul]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 5:06:25 PM UTC-7, Randy Lane wrote:

> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

The most dramatic one I've ever heard is the Scherchen on Westminster.

[Sol L. Siegel]

Randy Lane <randy...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:0361cd17-a3c0-40f3...@googlegroups.com:

> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet
> Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

I rarely listen to the piece - largely because I've picked up so many
recordings of it as fillers or as parts of progams I bought in order
to get something else. Another reason is that there are other
Tchaikovsky pieces I've come to like better.

The ones I'm most likely to play are Scherchen and a live Muti that's
included on a Philadelphia Orchestra fundraising promo disc.

- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA

[music...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 2:06:25 PM UTC-10, Randy Lane wrote:
> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
>
>
>

> The Karajan BPO 1967 DG version was my imprint version, and I find myself returning to it and the other Karajan recordings frequently. The Monteux on Vanguard is certainly indispensable. Giulini's Philharmonia recording from 1962 on EMI is another fave. I keep wishing the Toscanini would find a place in my heart. The same goes for Bernstein...

Concerning the Bernstein recording, Amazon's customers can't stop raving about it:

http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Symphony-Juliet-overture-Bernstein/dp/B000001GCB/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1372924741&sr=1-9&keywords=tchaikovsky+romeo+and+juliet+fantasy+overture

[wanwan]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 2:06:25 PM UTC-10, Randy Lane wrote:

Abbado's BSO Romeo is one of the few of his recordings I still like. Ormandy's Romeo has also been a favorite all these years.

---------------
Eric

[Herman]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 10:06:39 AM UTC+2, music...@gmail.com wrote:

>
> Concerning the Bernstein recording, Amazon's customers can't stop raving about it:
>

which goes for pretty much every recording by no matter whom: it's the way these amazon reviews work. The ravers post, people with more considered views have ther stuff to do.

[Christopher Webber]

On 04/07/2013 10:12, Herman wrote:
> which goes for pretty much every recording by no matter whom: it's the way these amazon reviews work.

And, fortunately, it is what sells the CDs!

Back to topic (sort of):
amongst my personal treasures is the 1954 Russian recording (with
Lemeshev and Lavrova under Samosud) of a fragment from the *opera* which
Tchaikovsky was developing from the orchestral piece.

It is the 'balcony scene' duet and lovers' parting. Although the
sketches were assembled by Taneyev the music is highest quality
Tchaikovsky - some of his most beautiful and moving. The duet, about
thirteen minutes long, has been recorded since (by Chandos) but the 1954
performance - easily sourced online, on MP3 - is a wonder.

Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" might well count as the greatest
'might-have-been' in operatic history. The 13-minute taster encourages
that view.

[mrs...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 2:06:25 AM UTC+2, Randy Lane wrote:
> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

Igor Markevitch, either with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française (was this ever on CD?) or with Philharmonia. Also, Konstantin Symeonov with USSR Grand Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra (with even better Manfred).

[markm...@gmail.com]

I like the Markevitch/Philharmonia, which was my imprint version, but really love the rip-snorting 1955 Munch/Boston, which reminds us that R & J were teenagers with raging hormones. The later Munch/Boston, unfortunately, lacks the electricity of the earlier (but still stereo) recording.

Mark

Mark

[Randy Lane]

I don't believe the Markevitch French recording has ever been on an international CD; it might have appeared in Japan briefly once or twice.

Too bad EMI did not issue a Markevitch Icon box. This 4 CD French box had some good stuff in it

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005GUF

but a 8-12 CD ICON box would do more justice to the conductor's marvelous EMI legacy. Alas, with the Warner acquisition pending we're not likely going to see any more ICONs.

I wonder what happens to Toshiba's EMI enterprises when Warner takes over? EMI British engineers have confessed that the large portion of their work with the legacy recordings in recent years has been commissioned by the Japanese.

[MELMOTH]

Ce cher mammifère du nom de Randy Lane nous susurrait, le jeudi
04/07/2013, dans nos oreilles grandes ouvertes mais un peu sales tout
de même, et dans le message
<0361cd17-a3c0-40f3...@googlegroups.com>, les doux
mélismes suivants :

> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet
> Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

1 - *Scherchen*
2 - *Monteux*
3 - *Karajan 60*

--
Car avec beaucoup de science, il y a beaucoup de chagrin ; et celui qui
accroît sa science accroît sa douleur.
[Ecclésiaste, 1-18]
MELMOTH - souffrant

[Alan Cooper]

Randy Lane <randy...@gmail.com> wrote in

news:f7f41523-5a4b-4fd0...@googlegroups.com:

> On Thursday, July 4, 2013 5:44:43 AM UTC-7, mrs...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Thursday, July 4, 2013 2:06:25 AM UTC+2, Randy Lane wrote:

>> Igor Markevitch, either with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion
>> Fran
> çaise (was this ever on CD?) or with Philharmonia. Also, Konstantin
> Symeonov with USSR Grand Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra (with even
> better Manfred).
>
> I don't believe the Markevitch French recording has ever been on an
> international CD; it might have appeared in Japan briefly once or
> twice.

Don't know about Japan, but here's a good 320mbps mp3 transfer from LP
(fully tagged). Assuming that Mediafire will be cooperative:

http://www.mediafire.com/?t9l28hv1yq3y8j7

I detest the piece. It's far from the worst of Tchaikovsky's orchestral
works, however, and has the advantage of relative brevity. Like others
who have posted previously, I've accumulated recordings unintentionally,
apparently including this one.

AC

[music...@gmail.com]

Not all cd's receive unanimous raves (see 2-star review below) and some of the unfavorable reviews can be detailed enough to be instructive pointing readers to other more worthwhile recordings:

- Frankly, these performances are very disappointing.

http://74.6.116.71/search/srpcache?ei=UTF-8&p=%22Frankly%2C+these+performances+are+very+disappointing.%22&fr=yfp-t-900&u=http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=%22Frankly%2c+these+performances+are+very+disappointing.%22&d=4740322127317156&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=BH0VjaI1isdrplC1AjZtNdC3YWEJ3SWl&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=mqy.2AlsVBc0aIXRtTmHyA--

[Steve de Mena]

Why does this link start with an IP address??

Steve

[Steve de Mena]

On 7/4/13 6:48 AM, Randy Lane wrote:

> I wonder what happens to Toshiba's EMI enterprises when Warner takes over? EMI British engineers have confessed that the large portion of their work with the legacy recordings in recent years has been commissioned by the Japanese.
>

Toshiba sold off their stake of Toshiba EMI in 2007.

Steve

[David Fox]

I wouldn't be surprised if he gets paid by the length of his links.

DF

[jrsnfld]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 5:44:43 AM UTC-7, mrs...@gmail.com wrote:

I don't know the Simeonov recording, but the Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic seems just right to me.

--Jeff

[jrsnfld]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 1:06:39 AM UTC-7, music...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 2:06:25 PM UTC-10, Randy Lane wrote:
>
> > I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.

> Concerning the Bernstein recording, Amazon's customers can't stop raving about it:

Bernstein's NY recording on Columbia/Sony is quite good. It's music that suits him well and the interpretation seems well within the bounds of convention. But...I can't shake the feeling that hits all the right buttons very well without achieving the feeling of unique, tragic profundity that, say, Stokowski brought to this music (and that doesn't take into account Stokowski's preference for a quiet ending), by dint of more . I don't know which of Stokowski's performances I like best, but check out the live performance from Swiss Radio that's on YouTube.

--Jeff

[jrsnfld]

Oops...hit 'send' accidentally.

Bernstein's NY recording on Columbia/Sony is quite good. It's music that suits him well and the interpretation seems well within the bounds of convention. But...I can't shake the feeling that hits all the right buttons very well without achieving the feeling of unique, tragic profundity that, say, Stokowski brought to this music (and that doesn't take into account Stokowski's preference for a quiet ending), by dint of more depth of orchestral textures, among other factors. I don't know which of Stokowski's performances I like best, but check out the live performance from Swiss Radio that's on YouTube.

--Jeff

[Randy Lane]

On Friday, July 5, 2013 5:48:46 PM UTC-7, jrsnfld wrote:

You state very lucidly what I feel after hearing both Bernstein and Toscanini in this music. Like you, something in me says the music suits each conductor well, but the result is less than satisfying.

I'll have to hunt down Stokowski readings. Another conductor that this music would seem to be a natural fit for. Odd that none of the Stokowski boxes (Sony, Decca Original Masters, EMI Icon) I own have a recording of the Tchaik. R&J.

[M forever]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 9:48:10 AM UTC-4, Randy Lane wrote:
> On Thursday, July 4, 2013 5:44:43 AM UTC-7, mrs...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > On Thursday, July 4, 2013 2:06:25 AM UTC+2, Randy Lane wrote:
>
> >
>
> > > I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Igor Markevitch, either with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française (was this ever on CD?) or with Philharmonia. Also, Konstantin Symeonov with USSR Grand Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra (with even better Manfred).
>
>
>
> I don't believe the Markevitch French recording has ever been on an international CD; it might have appeared in Japan briefly once or twice.
>
>
>
> Too bad EMI did not issue a Markevitch Icon box. This 4 CD French box had some good stuff in it
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005GUF

The track list seems to suggest disc 4 contains both Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich 4 - on the same CD...

[M forever]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 8:24:56 PM UTC-4, Randy Lane wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 5:12:08 PM UTC-7, Randy Lane wrote:
>
> > On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 5:06:25 PM UTC-7, Randy Lane wrote:
>
> >
>
> > > I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > > The Karajan BPO 1967 DG version was my imprint version, and I find myself returning to it and the other Karajan recordings frequently. The Monteux on Vanguard is certainly indispensable. Giulini's Philharmonia recording from 1962 on EMI is another fave. I keep wishing the Toscanini would find a place in my heart. The same goes for Bernstein.
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > > Abbado is another conductor I would expect to thrive on this work. But I remember being totally disappointed in an Abbado recording with the BSO on DG coupled with the Scriabin Poem of Ecstasy. I was younger then and I have not heard that recording in years; perhaps I might be more favorable now; maybe the weird cover art had something to do with my first reaction. Has it ever been on an international CD? He also did remakes during his Berlin days about 15 years ago on DG and with the CSO as part of a comprehensive Tchaikovsky series on Sony (now available in a Sony Master box real cheap). Are those better than the first DG version? Des anyone think highly of the first DG version?
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > I found the Abbado BSO recording on a DG budget CD coupled with his amazing VPO Sym #6:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000E4D1
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > I've had this for years now that I think about it - looks I ripped the 6th only to my online library and then stuffed the disk away - I probably skipped the Romeo because of the previous memories. I know what I'm listening to tonight.
>
>
>
> And I just remembered one other recording I've been curious about for year - Sinopoli with the Philharmonia on DG:
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000E4HO
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000012VT
>

That's a very lyrical and exciting performance with some pretty apocalyptic trumpet playing at the climax (those were the days of John Wallace as principal trumpet of the Philharmonia). The disc is also worth having for the highly intense and expressive performance of the 6th. Sinopoli also made a very good recording of the 5th, coupled with an ecstatic Russian Easter which alone is worth getting that disc, too.
Unfortunately, Mravinsky never recorded R+J work, but you can hear his orchestra in a very nice recording with Ashkenazy, made in rather good, post-Soviet sound.
I could imagine Gergiev's recording with the Mariinsky orchestra (still named Kirov when the recording was made) being worth checking out, too, but I have never heard it.

[Herman]

On Saturday, July 6, 2013 8:54:59 AM UTC+2, M forever wrote:

> I could imagine Gergiev's recording with the Mariinsky orchestra (still named Kirov when the recording was made) being worth checking out, too, but I have never heard it.
>

it's good

[Gerard]

M forever <ms1...@gmail.com> typed:

> Unfortunately, Mravinsky never recorded R+J work

Nor did Rozhdestvensky.
(IIRC there's some rehearsal on YouTube Rozhdestvensky.)

[Steve de Mena]

On 7/5/13 11:13 PM, M forever wrote:

>> Too bad EMI did not issue a Markevitch Icon box. This 4 CD French box had some good stuff in it
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005GUF
>
> The track list seems to suggest disc 4 contains both Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich 4 - on the same CD...

CD 4 contains the Tchaikovsky 4th and Shostakovich 1st.

Steve

[Gerard]

Gerard <ghendriks...@hotmail.com> typed:

Hm, I found this one in a Tchaikovsky database:

USSR Ministry of Culture SO | Rozhdestvenskii, Gennadi | 1990 | Erato 2292
45620-2

(In don't think that this was mentioned in a previous thread about this
subject.)

[Christopher Webber]

On 06/07/2013 10:23, Gerard wrote:
> USSR Ministry of Culture SO | Rozhdestvenskii, Gennadi | 1990 | Erato 2292
> 45620-2
>
> (In don't think that this was mentioned in a previous thread about this
> subject.)

... and apparently re-released by Warner on MP3, Apr 17th 2012. I would
like to get hold of this CD.

[Steve de Mena]

$4 or £4 used

UK
http://amzn.to/1aM96Hx

US
http://amzn.to/10FmDuJ

Steve

[Christopher Webber]

On 06/07/2013 11:45, Steve de Mena wrote:
> $4 or Ł4 used
>
> UK
> http://amzn.to/1aM96Hx

Acted on. Thank you, Steve.

[mrs...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, July 6, 2013 2:38:44 AM UTC+2, jrsnfld wrote:

> I don't know the Simeonov recording, but the Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic seems just right to me.
>
>
>
> --Jeff

Simeonov (or oddly Symeonov as on CD cover)was huge surprise for me. I've never heard of the conductor before, yet the cd with Manfred (and R&J) is astonishingly good, and not only interpretation wise but orchestral playing and recorded sound are superb for their time, which is 1960 radio broadcast. It's on Vista Vera.

[mrs...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 3:48:10 PM UTC+2, Randy Lane wrote:
> On Thursday, July 4, 2013 5:44:43 AM UTC-7, mrs...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > On Thursday, July 4, 2013 2:06:25 AM UTC+2, Randy Lane wrote:
>
> >
>
> > > I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Igor Markevitch, either with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française (was this ever on CD?) or with Philharmonia. Also, Konstantin Symeonov with USSR Grand Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra (with even better Manfred).
>
>
>
> I don't believe the Markevitch French recording has ever been on an international CD; it might have appeared in Japan briefly once or twice.
>
>
>
> Too bad EMI did not issue a Markevitch Icon box. This 4 CD French box had some good stuff in it
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005GUF
>
>
>
> but a 8-12 CD ICON box would do more justice to the conductor's marvelous EMI legacy. Alas, with the Warner acquisition pending we're not likely going to see any more ICONs.

Markevitch ICON box really would be great news, shame if it doesn't happen. I think it would have to be 12+ CDs: 4 from Les Introuvables, 4 on Testament, Rouge et Noir Stravinsky/Prokofiev double, Prokoviev/Britten and Lili Boulanger singles make it 12, plus the unreleased stuff ...

[Roland van Gaalen]

This is my favorite:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-hvNB0GBDE&list=FLrjkWZfOek_YL_JPXXLZ9NQ&index=48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLTjdnZczB0&list=FLrjkWZfOek_YL_JPXXLZ9NQ&index=47

State Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan,
conductor Fuat Mansurov
Russia, Kazan, March 21, 2006

Roland van Gaalen
Cape Town

[gggg...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 2:06:25 PM UTC-10, Randy Lane wrote:
> I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
>

> The Karajan BPO 1967 DG version was my imprint version, and I find myself returning to it and the other Karajan recordings frequently. The Monteux on Vanguard is certainly indispensable. Giulini's Philharmonia recording from 1962 on EMI is another fave. I keep wishing the Toscanini would find a place in my heart. The same goes for Bernstein.
>
> Abbado is another conductor I would expect to thrive on this work. But I remember being totally disappointed in an Abbado recording with the BSO on DG coupled with the Scriabin Poem of Ecstasy. I was younger then and I have not heard that recording in years; perhaps I might be more favorable now; maybe the weird cover art had something to do with my first reaction. Has it ever been on an international CD? He also did remakes during his Berlin days about 15 years ago on DG and with the CSO as part of a comprehensive Tchaikovsky series on Sony (now available in a Sony Master box real cheap). Are those better than the first DG version? Des anyone think highly of the first DG version?

Recent list of recommended recordings:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/mwi-recommends.htm

[dk]

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 1:01:36 AM UTC-7, gggg...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at 2:06:25 PM UTC-10, Randy Lane wrote:
> > I'd like to hear what recordings of the Tchaikovsky Romeo and
> > Juliet Fantasy Overture are favorites of others.
> >
> > The Karajan BPO 1967 DG version was my imprint version, and I
> > find myself returning to it and the other Karajan recordings
> > frequently. The Monteux on Vanguard is certainly indispensable.
> > Giulini's Philharmonia recording from 1962 on EMI is another
> > fave. I keep wishing the Toscanini would find a place in my
> > heart. The same goes for Bernstein.
> >
> > Abbado is another conductor I would expect to thrive on this
> > work. But I remember being totally disappointed in an Abbado
> > recording with the BSO on DG coupled with the Scriabin Poem
> > of Ecstasy. I was younger then and I have not heard that
> > recording in years; perhaps I might be more favorable now;
> > maybe the weird cover art had something to do with my first
> > reaction. Has it ever been on an international CD? He also
> > did remakes during his Berlin days about 15 years ago on DG
> > and with the CSO as part of a comprehensive Tchaikovsky series
> > on Sony (now available in a Sony Master box real cheap). Are

> > those better than the first DG version? Does anyone think

> > highly of the first DG version?
>
> Recent list of recommended recordings:
>
> http://www.musicweb-international.com/mwi-recommends.htm

Celibidache: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czegZLn-r8A

dk