Mravinsky: The Essential Standard
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4–6
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra; Yevgeny Mravinsky
Deutsche Grammophon 419 745-2 — 2 CDs
Mravinsky’s celebrated 1960 recordings remain a formidable standard. Passion and precision are held in perfect equilibrium: the playing burns, but it never sprawls. Tempos are urgent, attacks astonishingly clean, and the Leningrad brass and strings possess a hard, unmistakably Russian brilliance.
The Fourth has volcanic power; the Fifth moves with unusual inevitability; and the Pathétique avoids sentimentality without sacrificing emotional force. Mravinsky’s terrifyingly controlled third movement makes the finale’s descent into darkness all the more devastating. The stereo sound is lean and somewhat severe, but that severity suits the interpretations.
Verdict: The indispensable set—electrifying, disciplined and still difficult to surpass.
Temirkanov: Darker and More Personal
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4–6
St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Yuri Temirkanov
RCA Red Seal 09026 61377-2 — 2 CDs
Temirkanov inherits Mravinsky’s orchestra but approaches these symphonies with greater freedom. Where Mravinsky drives forward, Temirkanov frequently lingers, stretching a phrase or darkening a transition until the music seems to brood.
Not every liberty is equally convincing. The opening of the Fourth is extremely deliberate, and occasionally the underlying structure threatens to loosen. Elsewhere, however, Temirkanov’s instincts are compelling. The beginning of the Fifth emerges from an extraordinary gloom, while its slow movement unfolds with tenderness and patience. The Pathétique receives the most consistently inspired performance, drawing on the orchestra’s deep strings, characterful woodwinds and enormous dynamic range.
The recording is relatively dry, but truthful: warmth comes from the musicians rather than artificial resonance.
Verdict: An idiosyncratic but deeply felt alternative, especially rewarding in the Fifth and Sixth.
Pletnev: White Heat in Modern Sound
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”; Marche slave
Russian National Orchestra; Mikhail Pletnev
Virgin Classics VC7 59661-2
This celebrated debut recording announced the Russian National Orchestra as a formidable new ensemble. Its playing is polished and technically assured, although the orchestra had not yet developed the instantly recognizable collective character of Mravinsky’s Leningrad players.
Pletnev nevertheless stands firmly within the Russian tradition. He balances white heat with structural control, allowing the first movement’s emotional crises to erupt without losing sight of its architecture. The march has glittering precision, while the finale is kept moving sufficiently to prevent grief from becoming self-indulgent. Marche slave makes an appropriately fiery coupling.
The cleaner digital sound gives this recording an obvious advantage for listeners who find the older Mravinsky and Fricsay recordings too constricted.
Verdict: A forceful, intelligent modern account and an impressive document of a great orchestra at the beginning of its career.
Fricsay: Intensity Without Excess
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”; Violin Concerto
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; RIAS Symphony Orchestra; Yehudi Menuhin; Ferenc Fricsay
Deutsche Grammophon 445 409-2
Ferenc Fricsay achieves intensity through discipline rather than indulgence. His Pathétique is lean, urgent and meticulously prepared, with sharply defined inner parts and an unusually firm sense of direction. The Berlin Philharmonic supplies weight without heaviness, and the third movement has tremendous cumulative power.
The 1953 mono recording naturally lacks the spaciousness and bass extension of the later stereo versions, but it remains vivid enough for Fricsay’s rhythmic precision and dramatic intelligence to register clearly. The finale is not luxuriantly sorrowful; it is bleaker, more concentrated and ultimately more disturbing.
The coupling is equally valuable: Menuhin’s 1949 performance of the Violin Concerto, accompanied by Fricsay and the RIAS Symphony Orchestra, combines lyrical warmth with striking nervous energy.
Verdict: A compelling historical document that transcends its age—and perhaps the most intellectually concentrated performance of the four.
Final Recommendation
Mravinsky remains the first choice for the complete final trilogy: no other set combines such speed, precision and elemental power. Pletnev is the best option for modern sound, while Temirkanov offers the most personal and exploratory alternative. Fricsay belongs in a category of his own—a historic interpretation whose discipline only intensifies its tragedy.
