London Philharmonic Orchestra
Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor
Maxim Vengerov, violin
Warner Music re-release box set of 6 CDs, containing Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 1-6, 'Manfred' Symphony, Romeo & Juliet, Francesca Da Rimini, '1812' Overture, and the Rococo Variations
Disc 4:
'Manfred' Symphony
Serenade Melancholique
Despite being the longest of Tchaikovsky's career, calling for the largest forces, Manfred is no one's favorite symphony, and is (wrongly, in my opinion) excluded from most recorded cycles. I'm not quite sure why. Certainly it's a meandering piece, lacking the cohesive form of the six numbered symphonies, but this is a program symphony, after all. Mahler symphonies don't meander less, and they are still popular. The program itself might be the biggest problem. Lord Byron's dramatic poem never enjoyed the cultural status it did in the 19th century, and is generally not the sort of plot people choose to immerse themselves in for an hour.
For late 20th century audiences, perhaps the most effective use of 'Manfred' was as music for the soundtrack to the 1977 BBC production of Anna Karenina, starring Nicola Pagett and Stuart Wilson. Here all the beauty, passion, and regret come together with a masterful story (and brilliant acting). The soundtrack didn't use this recording (which was released in the same year) but went with Evegeny Svetlanov's classic version with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. It works so well that I've often jokingly suggested we rename it the 'Anna Karenina' Symphony, rewrite the program, and put Nicola Pagett on the cover. I'll bet it would do better in the concert hall and in record sales!
Wishful silliness aside (though I'm not even half joking), this version, while lacking the fire and brimstone of Svetlanov's (a recording I think every Tchaikovsky fan should hear) this set has the power to convert those who might not otherwise have liked it. There are moments (especially in the second and final movement) which sound like proto-Shostakovich. And here, Rostropovich seems to have transformed the London Phil into a Russian orchestra, so biting are the brass and winds at times, so savage the lower strings.
The first movement, which meanders in any recording (it's a portrait of Manfred wandering in the Alps, after all), is a little stagnant compared to others, until the massive final climax (which is perhaps the most overpowering moment in all the Tchaikovsky symphonies - and why no set can really be called complete without it). Once again, a great strength is the clarity of the recording in Kingsway Hall - how the details are revealed. Even if the interpretation isn't the most dynamic, we can revel in the sound of the orchestra itself. They are amazing.
The second movement isn't disappointing at all. Fleet and lively, it really delivers with the virtuosity of the LPO winds, in particular. The third movement will strike some listeners as too broad, but see my earlier comment about Kingsway Hall and reveling in the sound itself.
The fourth movement opening section blows me away - it really sounds like proto Shostakovich at times. Rostropovich brings out all the visionary qualities (in a musical sense).The organ climax - with that Kingsway Hall organ - is not to be missed! So even if this isn't your favorite piece, or your favorite interpretation, it's a great and unique recording well worth listening to.
The Serenade Melancholique Opus 26 for violin and orchestra is tagged at the end of this disc. It was recorded in Abbey Road's Studio 1 more than twenty years after Manfred, in 1999. It features Maxim Vengerov on violin and is a beautiful recording.
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