It's Fate

The term romantic is the most apposite description of this glorious cd of Tchaikovsky music. There is a blistering performance of the fourth Symphony bu the London Symphony Orchestra and George Szell and a textbook Romeo and Juliet Romantic Overture from Herbert von Karajan conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker. As I mentioned on an earlier occasion when considering a Tchaikovsky disk, many hard core classicists tend to disapprove of the fact that his music is popular and somehow make it a fault that he packs in so many memorable melodies. But when the mood is right, these works are irresistable. The 4th symphony is called the fate symphony, with fate being the capricious undertone to what is on the whole a joyful work. The second movement andantino is achingly beautiful but there is so much else to appreciate in the other three movements. it isn't just about the tunes either, there is much musical interest and invention. The Rome and Juliet overture is also the possessor of a typical and well known "big tune" which in isolation seems the epitome of movie romance but taken in the context of the whole piece, there is that intrusion of fate again.