Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Charles Dutoit, Montréal Symphony Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"

Top-notch interpretation and recording

Gregory Olsen | San Ramon, CA | 03/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dutoit's interpretation and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique" is perhaps the most beautiful, moving rendition I have heard - a close listening of the opening of the first movement brought tears to my eyes. This modestly priced recording has joined my list of "Dessert Island" CDs. The recording is older, which means that the sonics are not up to the modern standard in the bass and treble (those listeners who love the bass-heavy sound of a Telarc recording may be turned off), however, there is excellent dimensionality to the stereo sound. Instruments are where they should be. This is not like one of the quirky Deutsche Grammophon recordings where feel like you are residing inside a french horn or at the feet of a cello player, because of the odd mic'ing and mixing the DGG engineers did. The 1812 Overture put on the disc as filler is thinner and not as bombastic as the great recordings of that piece. It is a merely functional version, but thankfully it is not as over-the-top and digitally "enhanced" as the infamous Telarc version."