Introducing Tchaikovsky

I’m sorry that it has been a while since I last posted anything, but it has been very busy at the Introduction Agency, which is good news…. Anyway, I read with interest Geoff Brown’s article in Times2 where he confessed that he did not like Tchaikovsky! To give him his due, he does admit that Tchaikovsky is “one of the world’s greatest writers of melody, a superb orchestrator, a piercing musical dramatist….” but then states”It’s that self-dramatising, neurotic and morbid aspect of Tchaikovsky” that he finds hard to take. The piece is basically about the Revealing Tchaikovsky concert series currently at the Southbank and Mr Brown goes on to say that he plans to listen hard and widely perhaps away from the emotional blockbusters. So here we have a man who knows what he likes but wants to know more. Just like me really.

So with a great deal to think about off I went to the Barbican with a group of Classical Partners for an evening of Russian music performed by the St Petersburg Philharmonic conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier, who had stepped in to replace Yuri Temirkanov who was ill. A Frenchman guiding a Russian orchestra through a programme of Russian music, surely there will be some insight here to the problems expressed by Geoff Brown. The first half of the concert was beautifully played, Liadov’s Kikimora introduced us to the wonderful depth of sound from the strings. Natalia Gutman gave a fabulous rendition of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No 1. As with most of Shostakovich’s music it elicited the full spectrum of emotions from me. At times I felt anger only to be replaced by romantic contemplation. A strange mix but very stimulating.

During the interval I started to think again about Tchaikovsky as we were about to enjoy his Symphony No 6 “Pathetique“. Incidentally this is not being performed as part of the Revealing Tchaikovsky series on the Southbank. The organisers clearly making a statement there! The first three movements were performed with great gusto. The strings again dominating with their depth and warmth. There is a morbid aspect but with the music played at this pace there is also an uplifting impression of hope. There was brief spontaneous applause at the end of the third movement which would normally distract me at the very least but on this occasion seemed an appropriate reflection of the mood of the entire hall. The final Adagio lamentoso was indeed mournful and faded away leaving a feeling of darkness. I suppose that Geoff Brown would have hated this. For me I ended up thinking that Tchaikovsky is a bit like a pint of Guinness: it would not be so good or have the same impact if you had a pint without the creamy head.

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