Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Paavo Järvi, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathètique"; Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy [Hybrid SACD]

Pretty Good But Not Memorable

J. Rich | 09/10/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Paavo Jarvi is a great conductor I think, but this particular recording of Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 6" just doesn't wipe away memories of Bernstein's now legendary Deutsche Grammophon reading or Temirkanov or even Rostropovich. Jarvi doesn't dig deep enough into this symphony and ultimately fails to bring out the more tragic nature of this symphony, especially the last movement. The "Romeo And Juliet Overture" is played fine, but in my mind can't compete with Bernstein or even Pletnev.



This recording is pretty much middle-of-the-road. There's no bad playing to be found here, but Jarvi fails at bringing any new insights into either performance. A big highlight, though, would be the great audio quality, which is this recording's only saving grace, otherwise, I would have given it 3-stars instead of 4."