Tchaikovsky - Symphony No 6 'Pathetique & Serenade For Strings - Gatti [SACD] [FLAC]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6 In B Minor "Pathétique" Op 74
Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op 48
Daniele Gatti, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra



(Not my rip. All tracks properly tagged and artwork cleaned up.)

Release Date: January 3, 2006
Label: Harmonia Mundi / Super Audio Hybrid CD #HMU80 7394
Duration: 01:16:21
Genre: Classical
Style: Romantic

Tracklist:

Symphony No 6 In B Minor "Pathétique", Op 74
01 I Adagio - Allegro non troppo 17:59
02 II Allegro con grazia 07:09
03 III Allegro molto vivace 08:31
04 IV Finale: Adagio lamentoso 11:02

Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op 48
05 I Pezzo in forma di Sonatina 09:52
06 II Walzer 04:03
07 III Élégie 09:57
08 IV Finale: Tema Russo 07:48

AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson:
If any of Tchaikovsky's symphonic works deserves an interpretive makeover, then the sorely abused Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathétique," is it, without a doubt. Long understood as the ultimate expression of Tchaikovsky's tortured Romantic soul, this symphony has carried a tremendous burden of autobiographical import and has suffered unnecessarily under the weight of conductors' sluggish tempi and orchestras' overly lush playing. Enter Daniele Gatti, a clear-eyed conductor who is intent on restoring Tchaikovsky's works to their original states, as written, and who has demonstrated with remarkable success for Harmonia Mundi how they should sound. In his acute reading of the "Pathétique," the pacing is brisk, accents are crisp, textures are lean, and dynamics are subtly graded and balanced; all combine to make the piece sound fresh, energetic, virile, and much less forlorn and dreary. Furthermore, Gatti inspires the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to play with a lightness and grace most often associated with Tchaikovsky's ballets, but also required in passages of the Allegro non troppo and the lilting second movement. There are moments of great tension and pathos, of course, and the Finale still has its dark coloration and anguished expression; but the piece as a whole feels lighter, relieved as it is of a century's worth of melodramatic accretions, and it seems more eloquent as a result of Gatti's controlled interpretation. There are, naturally, no serious issues of Tchaikovsky's emotional states behind the radiant Serenade in C major, Op. 48, and this delightful example of the composer's bright Classical side is played by Gatti and the RPO with elegant style, pristine clarity, and glorious string sonorities. Harmonia Mundi's reproduction is terrific, with a warm orchestral tone and wonderful resonance.

AllMusic Review by C. Ryan Hill:
This excellent disc featuring what many consider to be Tchaikovsky's magnum opus rounds out a recording project of his final three symphonies by Italian conductor Daniele Gatti. Although his name is not nearly as familiar in America as it is in Europe, Gatti's tenure as music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 1996 has significantly enhanced the quality of the orchestra, clearly evident in this recording. The languid, chilling ambience that Gatti and the RPO create at the work's opening is so desolate, in fact, that it nearly pulls apart at the seams -- a good thing! Gatti, in complete control, continues to shape this music in a somber yet carefully skilled manner that does justice to the enormous dynamic range of this work (from pppppp to ffff, as the excellent liner notes indicate). The difficult string figurations throughout the first movement are clearly articulated, but still in the tragic character of this music. Likewise, the delicate string section, just before the massive, fiery eruption, is shaped with a tremendous amount of care, allowing for a real shock at the impending point of impact. When all hell finally does break loose, the Royal Philharmonic brass section performs with a sound that is completely convincing and in a true Russian style: turgid, stormy, and even crass, but never overbearing.
Gatti and his players are able to achieve a number of subtleties in the delicate second movement. They infuse this music with an elegantly simple style and combine it with a generous lilt, proving that even a British orchestra, conducted by an Italian performing Russian music, can still dance even in 5/4 meter! There is also an acute clarity and sensitivity to balance, exhibited, for instance, near the opening when the woodwinds have the famous theme and the scampering string pizzicati are clearly heard superimposed underneath. The pervading sense of wistfulness throughout is also a testament to Gatti's sensitivity with this music.
The difficult third movement comes off very well indeed, although there are a few stragglers in the RPO viola section. Overall, the effect is one of the best on disc, though it would be perfect if there was just a little more meat and length to the string stroke. The fourth movement features a magnificent opening that connects notes together with great line and intensity for a long, slow build. This performance is truly compelling to the exhausted finish.
Coupling the Symphony No. 6 is a fine reading of the ever-popular and often-recorded Serenade for Strings. This is an edition of interest, though, for Gatti has toned down the use of vibrato significantly, thereby allowing the beautiful Russian harmonies to shine through. It's a shame that Gatti and the players do not give the second-movement waltz here the same inflection as the corresponding movement in the symphony. The soaring elegy and boisterous finale both come across well, though. This is a recommended disc with excellent sound suitable for anyone looking for a fresh approach to these two Tchaikovsky cornerstones.