Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6 (180g)

“May they only rack their brains over a program that will remain a mystery to everyone. “With these words alone, Tchaikovsky provided enough reasons for rich extra-musical interpretations of his last symphony, the declared conclusion of his oeuvre. For example, the slow, lamenting final movement instead of a crashing Allegro finale represents a bold intervention in the traditional canon of forms and nourished speculation about the approaching death that befell the composer only nine days after the premiere. But even without biographical references and programmatics, the “Pathetique” has always stirred unprepared minds. For the impression of how the hectic main theme fights its way up from the threatening string chords in the first movement and is satisfied after the open end by the grandiose, comforting singing of the violins is as indelible as a watermark in Tchaikovsky’s work Among the many recordings, Dimitri Mitropoulos’s favourite is the one: his reproduction of the highly sensitive score masters the fine line between sentimentality and sentimentality. The master conveys the sharp contrasts in a well-balanced and conclusive manner, letting the melodies flow powerfully and yet free of broadband effects. This conductor doesn’t want to be a judge, he wants to be a lawyer for the music.