Piotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Fatum, Op posth 77 (1868)
Dances from The Oprichnik, No 15 (1870-72)
Hamlet, Op 67 (1888)
Introduction to The Queen of Spades, Op 68 (1890)
Capriccio Italien, Op 45 (1880)
The Snow Maiden, Op 12 (1873): Introduction from the Prologue; Melodrama, Act II; Dance of the Tumblers, Act III
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Alpesh Chauhan
rec. 2023, Grand Hall, City Halls, Glasgow
Chandos CHSA5331 SACD [76]
In 2023, I was very impressed by Vol 1 of Tchaikovsky orchestral works from Alpesh Chauhan and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (review); so, I was delighted to receive Vol 2. These recordings were made some six months after Vol 1, using the same Glasgow venue.
I may as well get my caveat about this programme out of the way up front: the musical selection is rather uneven, and certainly more so than was the case in Vol 1. Head and shoulders above all the other pieces is the Fantasy Overture Hamlet. I’ve never quite understood why this fine, dramatic piece isn’t given more frequent airings in the concert hall; it would make a welcome change from the ubiquitous Romeo and Juliet. Chauhan does the powerfully brooding opening very well – the sonorous lower strings of the BBCSSO command our attention. The Allegro vivace section (from 5:23) is taut and urgent and the Andante (from 7:11) begins with some lovely woodwind playing, led by the principal oboe. In the second half of the piece Tchaikovsky reprises a good deal of thematic material, as he had done 20 years earlier in Fatum. However, he ‘gets away with it’ on this occasion because the reprised music is much more memorable than was the case in Fatum. The piece ends with a brief funeral march for Hamlet (the Grave, from 17:33). This section may be short, but it’s deeply felt, as is the present performance. Chauhan and the BBCSSO give us a terrific performance of this work; I enjoyed it very much indeed.
The other pieces on the programme may not match the stature of Hamlet, but they’re all played with comparable distinction. Fatum has a high opus number but was composed twenty years before Hamlet: in all honesty, it shows. The piece opens with a kind of fanfare for Fate, though the music is a bit crude by comparison with the fatal call to attention at the start of the Fourth symphony (1877-78). There’s a very attractive, flowing episode (2:26 – 5:30) followed by a vigorous Molto allegro. Here, the music is less interesting, though Chauhan and his orchestra play it with great drive and the results are exciting. Tchaikovsky revisits a good deal of musical material in the second half of the piece, but as he does so the seams rather show. Despite the excellent performance, Fatum strikes me as a weak piece which rather outstays its welcome.
Tchaikovsky composed Capriccio Italien in Rome, while on one of his visits to Italy, a country he loved. To judge by the music, he was having a happy time in Rome. I noticed that in his review of this disc, Ralph Moore made the interesting comment that he has “always felt that its brooding opening in fact sounds more Iberian than Italianate, as do several of the subsequent themes.” I know what he means; perhaps we should just regard the piece as Mediterranean? I’ve never been the greatest fan of this piece, but the present performance has made me rethink. Chauhan’s conducting, and the enthusiastic response of the BBCSSO, shows this musical postcard from Italy in a very favourable light. The scoring demonstrates Tchaikovsky at his most colourful and this vivid performance brings out all the delights in the orchestration. I also admire the rhythmic alertness in the playing. This is a most successful performance.
The remaining offerings are miniatures. The Dances from The Oprichnik come from the wedding scene in Act IV of Tchaikovsky’s first surviving opera. This set of short dances – playing in total for 6:10 – are colourful and enjoyable. Here, the music is played stylishly and with élan. The Introduction to The Queen of Spades comes from the Pushkin opera, which Tchaikovsky composed some 20 years after The Oprichnik. This is fully mature music and it whets one’s appetite for the drama to follow. Chauhan leads an excellent performance. Finally, he gives us three numbers (of twenty, I believe) from the Incidental Music that Tchaikovsky wrote for a production of Ostrovsky’s play The Snow Maiden in 1873. (Rimsky-Korsakov also used the play as the basis for his opera of the same name, composed in 1880-81). As the low opus number suggests, this is early Tchaikovsky, but even so these three pieces are well worth hearing. The Introduction, from the play’s Prologue, is very nicely imagined for the orchestra; the music displays a good deal of delicacy and charm. The Melodrama, from Act II, is scored for strings only. This is tranquil music, which is here played with great finesse. The selection concludes with the Dance of the Tumblers, from Act III. In his useful notes, David Nice suggests that Tchaikovsky’s Dance need not fear comparison with Rimsky’s better known equivalent piece: I agree. The music is full of energy and brilliance, as is the performance. This really spirited performance ensures we have a smile on our faces at the end of Alpesh Chauhan’s programme.
As I said at the start, the music on this programme isn’t quite as consistently interesting as the contents of Vol 1 – with the notable exception of Hamlet. But it’s still a very enjoyable collection and, furthermore, Chauhan’s selection offers the opportunity to hear some less familiar music by the composer. The performance standard is at the same high level as was the case on the previous disc. That’s true of the recorded sound as well; the Chandos engineers have recorded the music vividly.
I wonder if Chauhan and Chandos plan a further volume: I note that Romeo and Juliet has not yet made an appearance. Another instalment would be most welcome, but for now anyone who invested in Volume 1 can confidently invest in its successor.
Previous review Ralph Moore
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