As for the CD Odyssey, Alice Cooper has finally released it from his death grip (enjoyable as it was) and returned us to that hard rock composer of the 1870s, Tchaikovsky. Dude rocked out.
Disc 356 is...Tchaikovsky Box Set Disc 4 (of 5)
Artist: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Year of Release: 1875 through 1878 for these pieces
What’s Up With The Cover?: Just the boring photo of my Tchaikovsky Box Set. I discussed this cover briefly back at Disc 265, when I reviewed Disc 3. However, you will note that I have not just recycled the same cover, but instead taken a fresh photograph for this review - this one taken after sunset and noticeably darker. We spare no expense here at acreativemaelstrom.
How I Came To Know It: As I mentioned in my last review, Tchaikovsky is my first true love in the classical genre, and remains one of my favourite composers to this day. I got into him in my first year of university, in 1988/89, which is when I bought this compilation. I am fairly certain that for some time after I tried to impress girls with my Tchaikovskian knowledge, with mixed results.
How It Stacks Up: Because this album has excerpts from complete works (more on that below) it is a 'best of' by the CD Odyssey definition, and therefore is not permitted to stack up against other recordings. Rules are rules, Pyotr!
Rating: 4 stars, because it has an excerpt from a larger piece. Ordinarily, it wouldn't qualify for a rating at all as a 'best of', but since classical music doesn't really follow modern conceits, I'll let it go.
As I've indicated in many previous classical reviews, I know very little about classical music, other than what I like. Describing just how I like it in terms that a classical music enthusiast would appreciate is pretty much out of the question, so I'm going to steer hard in the other direction.
Ordinarily, I comment largely on the album as a whole and highlight a few tracks of particular interest, but since there are only three compositions on this album, I think I'll just cover each one individually.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op.23 (composed: 1875)
Let me start by saying that classical musicians really needed to put in a better effort on their song titles. "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor" is a bit of a mouthful, and "Opus 23" is a fine title if you're filing something in the Library of Congress, but doesn't inspire flights of musical fancy.
Which is too bad, because from the first flourish of this track, listeners will recognize it as something they've heard a hundred times before. This is the classical equivalent of a hit.
I gave it three listens on this go-around and on each one I found it increasingly beautiful. Through its three movements and roughly thirty two minutes it covers a range of emotion as well, conveying romance, adventure and whimsy with equal skill.
I am admittedly not a big piano guy, and I preferred the parts in the composition where other instruments were forward in the mix. That said, this piece is written principally for the piano, and the parts that feature it sound damned hard to play. My hat is off to Andrei Gavrilov, the guy who delivered the piano mastery on this particular recording (as part of the Berlin Philharmonic).
Interested if the Berlin Philharmonic is any good? Me too - I have no idea, but given the stiff competition to be in any major city's orchestra, I'm going out on a limb and saying, 'pretty damn good.' But I digress...
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (composed: 1878)
This is my preferred song of the two major works on this album, probably for no better reason than I just tend to prefer violin concertos to piano concertos. This particular performance features the legendary Itzhak Perlman, playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. I'm a pretty good judge of fiddle playing, but not as confident on the violin. That said, the violin parts sound damned hard and yet well played.
This piece was less familiar to me, but so exceptionally beautiful. I walked to work on both Friday and Monday listening to this album, plus two drives to and from the gym. Every time this song came on, I found my spirits lifted. I believe on at least one occasion I played at conducting with my coffee mug as I walked to work.
If wikipedia is to be believed (is it ever wrong?) this piece was written by Tchaikovsky to help him get over a deep sadness. I can believe it; they could prescribe this song as a cure for clinical depression. It is worth a listen in the proper classical manner - in the dark, with no other sound to interfere with it's beauty.
Waltz from "Eugene Onegin," Op. 24 (Composed: 1878)
The last track on the CD is a six minute waltz, pulled from the much larger opera, "Eugene Onegin" which is based on a Pushkin novel. I can't express enough how frustrating I find it when these classical compilations decide to try to please the masses by pulling a chunk of recognizeable music out of a larger work. Someone should tell them that we're talking about classical music here, so it isn't like your audience has a short attention span.
To which the Soulless Record Exec would say, "yes, but it does help sell the record!" Well played as always, Soulless Record Exec, well played.
I will say that this waltz is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. I imagine this song being received at high society European gatherings with great enthusiasm. Women grabbing their men by the hands and drawing them in close to plead, "o darling, don't you just love this song! Please, let's dance, shall we?" And dapper gents with ridiculous facial hair happily acquiescing to the demands of their girls.
Even though I don't waltz, this song makes me want to cross a crowded ballroom and take a lady by her gloved hand and give it a whirl. It is like a high school dance favourite, one hundred years ahead of its time.
So this album, ultimately was like the first three in the Tchaikovsky Boxed Set; filled with amazing music that has survived the test of time for over 130 years. It is an impressive and well-deserved achievement. It may even make you want to dance.
Best tracks: There's only two full works here, with a piece of a third, but I'll take Violin Concerto in D Major (Op. 35) over the rest.
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