A Journey To the Darkest Realms

A work of central core repertoire that has taken a while to have its' turn off the shelf. Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6, Pathetique, performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan. The Pathetique is another of those works that has much myth making surrounding it, partially because of the nature of the music but mainly because of the circumstances of the proximity of the premiere to the composer's death under possibly dubious circumstances. There is no denying the utter bleakness of the closing movement which seems to signify nothing other than total disillusionment, despair and defeat. Other of his works including earlier symphonies had fate motifs associated with them but the sixth uses fate more subtly as a means of painting a wholly pessimistic view of life. The finale is all the more surprising coming as it does after movements that contain much typical Tchaikovskian melody and elegance. Much has been made of whether or not Tchaikovsky's death was a kind of semi suicide but it is interesting to ponder how he might have followed on from the sixth symphony if he had been granted an extended creative life. The lush sound of Karajan's Berlin Phil works well for me in this work, Karajan does bleakness pretty well, in Metamorphosen for instance. The work also raises questions about listening to such naked pain portrayed in music for purposes of relaxation and entertainment. But music can convey so many moods and experiences and this is but one of them.