Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra :: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4; The Nutcracker

Beecham charms, but we are far from Russia

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 05/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Beecham tend to be fans of everything he conducted, and this Tchaikovksy Fourth from Paris (mono,1957) is much loved. I haven't seen it in EMI's catalog for years, but now we have it in a good remastering, along with Nutcracker excerpts from 1954. In style it is much more Beecham than Russian, with lots of rubato, ritards and accelerandos not marked in the score, and an overall spontaneity that, as always with Beecham, is totally genuine and unforced. Here is the old man telling us just what he thought of this music on a particular day. Will you find it fascinating? Some external factors may influence that. The orchestra isn't up to Austro-German standards, being a little thin in both strings and winds. They are a bit slapdash with the pizzicato scherzo, and the finale doesn't dazzle with virtuosity by any means (it's laid back, in fact).



On the other hand, of all non-French conductors, Beecham was the most French, and his musicians play very responsively for him. Another deciding factor is how you hear the Fourth Sym. in your head. Beecham doesn't match any ideal performance I can imagine; he has to be taken on his own terms. Tempos are within the standard range, and if a certain light, brilliant insouciance appeals to you, then this CD will be of great interest. The Nutcracker is in the same genial, smiling vein as the symphony. To be candid, the five-star rating will seem more convincing to die-hard Beecham lovers than to newcomers, who may feel that "charm" is a pretty braod attribute making up for lack of real russianess."