Rachmaninoff International Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite & Bizet/Shchedrin: Carmen Suite (2024) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Rachmaninoff International Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite & Bizet/Shchedrin: Carmen Suite (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:28:04 minutes | 2,90 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © EuroArts Music International

In August 2022, the musicians of the world-class Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO) gathered in Bratislava to perform their first recording under the direction of founder and artistic director Mikhail Pletnev. Experience the beloved tunes from “Swan Lake” and “Carmen” on Super Audio CD and digital.

Pletnev’s reimagining of Swan Lake goes beyond convention, offering an elaborate arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s ballet music. The result is a captivating cocktail of color and atmosphere, blending theatrical drama with aristocratic elegance in perfect harmony. Meanwhile, the Carmen Suite, artfully arranged by Rodion Shchedrin, introduces a playful twist to Bizet’s timeless melodies.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11, Op. 103 ‘The Year 1905’ (2005/2006) SACD ISO

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11, Op. 103 ‘The Year 1905’ (2005/2006)
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 01:02:06 minutes | 3.16 GB
Genre: Classical | Publisher (label): PentaTone Classics – PTC 5186 076

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3 (2012) DSF DSD64

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3 (2012)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 52:06  minutes | 2,06 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Digital Booklet |  © Pentatone Music B.V.

Nowadays, Tchaikovsky’s first three sym- phonies seldom appear on the concert programmes, whereas his symphonies four to six – in other words, the symphonies generally recognized as masterpieces – are regularly included. And thus the three early symphonies share a fate that none of them have necessarily earned. After all, each in its own individual way is a worthwhile symphony: the composer certainly did not consider them to be preliminary works, a type of precursor to the later symphonies. From 1866 to 1878, Tchaikovsky taught harmony at the Moscow Conservatoire and during this period, he composed – among other works – his first three symphonies, namely in 1866, 1872, and 1875. And for Tchaikovsky, the journey leading to the symphony was not an easy one: on the con- trary, he trod a painful path before tapping into this high-end genre. This is proven, on the one hand, by the amount of time and energy he put into the creation of his sym- phonies, which was characterized by serious doubts about their quality; or, on the other hand, by the fundamental reworking of his second symphony, despite the success of its première. However, Tchaikovsky had a much easier time with his Symphony No. 3 in D.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 ‘Little Russian’ (2012) DSF DSD64

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 ‘Little Russian’ (2012)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 48:10  minutes | 1,9 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Digital Booklet |  © Pentatone Music B.V.

Following the long and rocky road to the First Symphony, on which, due to his teaching duties at the Moscow Conservatory, Tchaikovsky had been forced to work at night, the Second Symphony was composed mainly in the summer of 1872, hot on the heels of his second opera, The Oprichnik. At this time, Tchaikovsky was once again tak- ing a holiday on the country estate of his sister Aleksandra, located near the Ukrainian town of Kamianka, in the Kiev Governerate. Numerous anecdotes report Tchaikovsky’s touching assertion that he was not the true creator of the work, but rather, that it actually had been composed by one Pyotr Gerasimovich, one of the older servants in the household of his sister and her husband, Lev Davydov, for it was Pyotr Gerasimovich who had sung the folksong, The Crane, to him, which provided the basis for the work’s finale. Regardless of the story’s veracity, there is no other work in Tchaikovsky’s symphonic oeuvre that contains such a wealth of authentic folksong themes beside freely composed folksong-like creations. The work’s unofficial title, Little Russian Symphony, is indeed attributable to the fact that so many Ukrainian folksongs are employed in it, ‘Little Russia’ having been the standard term for the central and northern portions of today’s Ukraine in Tsarist times.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 ‘Winter Daydreams’ (2011) DSF DSD64

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 ‘Winter Daydreams’ (2011)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 55:16 minutes | 2,18 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Digital Booklet |  © Pentatone Music B.V.

The genre of the symphony played a major role throughout the creative life of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. He composed his first symphony at the age of 26, and his sixth and last symphony – the Pathétique – in 1893, the year in which he died. Whereas his three last symphonies have remained an integral part of the concert repertoire, performances of his first three symphonies are still quite rare. Unfairly so, as they are unique indi- vidual works, artistic expressions of a high quality. Tchaikovsky defined the symphony as “the most lyrical of musical forms. After all, is it not meant to express that for which there are no words, but which forces itself out of the soul, impatiently waiting to be uttered?”. With these words, Tchaikovsky makes us aware of the special nature of his symphonies. Primarily, they provided him with a musical outlet for the elaboration of his emotions, his mental and spiritual pro- cesses. Probably the greatest error as far as the reception of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies is concerned, is that the subjectivity of his symphonic sound world, the sweet melliflu- ousness of one melody or another confused and irritated the judgment of the academics to the same degree in which these musical characteristics met, by contrast, with euphoric approval from a wide-ranging audience. After all, especially in German- speaking countries, his music was unjustly stamped as follows: “Beware! Sensitive, sloppy sentiment!”. But Tchaikovsky absolutely did not want to get involved in an academic game with empty notes. And rightly so.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony (2013) DSF DSD64

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony (2013)
DSF Stereo DSD64, 1 bit/2,82 MHz | Time – 59:28 minutes | 2,35 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Booklet, Front Cover | ©  Pentatone Music B.V.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Manfred is a hermaphrodite – at least, as far as the music is concerned. For although the work (dating from 1885) was indeed dubbed by its creator as a symphony, it still did not receive a number alongside Tchaikovsky’s further six contributions to the category. And thus it was – and has still to some extent remained – “draped” over a stool, as it were: isolated in Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre somewhere between the categories of the symphony and the symphonic poem. Nevertheless, Manfred is definitely based on a literary programme. And what a programme – the eponymous dramatic poem written by the “dark romantic” poet, Lord Byron. Tchaikovsky devoted himself to this and to its eponymous hero with zeal, and seemed to even somewhat transform himself into Manfred during the intensive period of work. After all, he was also suffering from inner torment. And this can be heard in the music, which appears to be full of inner conflict. Nowadays, Manfred is rarely heard in the concert hall. Perhaps due to its rather “overloaded” subject? Perhaps due to its unclear stylistic positioning? Or perhaps due to the model upon which it is based, which today is virtually unknown? Towards the end, during the redemption of Manfred, there is even an organ added to the full orchestra. (Incidentally, this was recorded separately in Berlin for the recording at hand.) An apotheosis – however, the “taste” involved here is a subject worthy of debate. And this may, in fact, be the reason…

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 in B minor Op.74 ‘Pathetique’ (2011) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 in B minor Op.74 ‘Pathetique’ (2011)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 3.14 GB 
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 1.0 GB 

If one is searching for an extra-musical heading under which to bracket the con- tent of the Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one cannot really avoid the word “fate”. Personal fate, to be exact. Thus his Symphony No. 4 (1876-78) was a frank confession straight from the soul, a subtle psychological portrait printed on paper. In a letter to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, he talked of “fate, this disastrous power, which prevents our urgent desire for happiness from achieving its objective”. After this, a further 11 years passed before Tchaikovsky attempted to compose another “purely” symphonic work – his Symphony No. 5. Here again, the “concept of destiny” very clearly determined the musical processes: however, here it was rather more a poetic idea, a guiding principle, rather than an established musical programme for the listener.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64 (2011) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64 (2011)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 3.54 GB
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 1.1 GB 

Following the completion of the 4th’s subtle psychography, 11 years would pass before Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikowsky would return to the composition of a ‘purely’ symphonic work – the 5th Symphony (the composer considered his mighty Manfred Symphony dating from 1885 as his only explicitly programmatic symphony). Despite having just returned from a spectacularly received European concert tour, he commenced the project in a state of complete exhaustion, self-doubt & uncertainty. From his new country residence in Klin, he wrote in the spring of 1888: “I frequently have doubts about my own abilities & wonder if it is not time to stop, & if my creativity has not been stretched to the limit.” His comments in a letter to his benefactor, Nadeshda von Meck, in June, are similar; he fears that “the well may be dry.” However, once he has for the 1st time made mention of the new 5th Symphony, inspiration appears to return surprisingly quickly: in a matter of less than 8 weeks, Tchaikovsky can report to von Meck that the work has been completed. In all, he had required only 4 weeks to sketch the work & 3 to orchestrate it; he conducted its world premiere on 5th November 1888 in St Petersburg.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4, Romeo & Juliet (2011) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4, Romeo & Juliet (2011)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 2.98 GB 
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 944 MB

Not many world famous composers have been equally successful at writing both absolute and programme music. Moreover, only a mere handful has managed to achieve something truly extraordinary in both genres. One of these coposers was Peter Tchaikovsky. When inspired by great literature, his passion for reading likely stood him in good stead: after all, as far as Tchaikovsky was concerned, reading ranked ‘among the greatest moments of pleasure’.

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 (2012) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 (2012)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 2.58 GB
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 839 MB

Nowadays, Tchaikovsky’s 1st 3 symphonies seldom appear on the concert programmes, whereas his symphonies 4 to 6 – in other words, the symphonies generally recognized as masterpieces – are regularly included. Thus the 3 early symphonies share a fate that none of them have necessarily earned. After all, each in its own individual way is a worthwhile symphony: the composer certainly did not consider them to be preliminary works, a type of precursor to the later symphonies. From 1866 to 1878, Tchaikovsky taught harmony at the Moscow Conservatoire & during this period, he composed – among other works – his 1st 3 symphonies, namely in 1866, 1872, & 1875. For Tchaikovsky, the journey leading to the symphony was not easy: on the contrary, he trod a painful path before tapping into this high-end genre. This is proven, on 1 hand, by the amount of time & energy he put into the creation of his symphonies, which was characterized by serious doubts about their quality; or, on the other hand, by the fundamental reworking of his 2nd symphony, despite the success of its première. However, Tchaikovsky had a much easier time with his 3rd Symphony in D.

(more…)

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Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 ‘Little Russian’ (2012) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 ‘Little Russian’ (2012)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 2.35 GB 
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 760 MB 

Following the long & rocky road to the 1st Symphony, on which, due to his teaching duties at the Moscow Conservatory, Tchaikovsky had been forced to work at night, the 2nd Symphony was composed mainly in the summer of 1872, hot on the heels of his 2nd opera, The Oprichnik. At this time, Tchaikovsky was once again taking a holiday on the country estate of his sister Aleksandra, located near the Ukrainian town of Kamianka, in the Kiev Governerate. Numerous anecdotes report Tchaikovsky’s touching assertion that he was not the true creator of the work, but rather, that it actually had been composed by a Pyotr Gerasimovich, 1 of the older servants in the household of his sister & her husband, Lev Davydov, for it was Pyotr Gerasimovich who had sung the folksong, The Crane, to him, which provided the basis for the work’s finale. Regardless of the story’s veracity, there is no other work in Tchaikovsky’s symphonic oeuvre that contains such a wealth of authentic folksong themes beside freely composed folksong-like creations. The work’s unofficial title, Little Russian Symphony, is indeed attributable to the fact that so many Ukrainian folksongs are employed in it, ‘Little Russia’ having been the standard term for the central & northern portions of today’s Ukraine in Tsarist times.

(more…)

Read more

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.1 (2011) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.1 (2011)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 2.69 GB 
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 868 MB 

The genre of the symphony played a major role throughout the creative life of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. He composed his 1st symphony at the age of 26, & his 6th & last symphony – the Pathйtique – in 1893, the year in which he died. Whereas his 3 last symphonies have remained an integral part of the concert repertoire, performances of his 1st 3 symphonies are still quite rare. Unfairly so, as they are unique individual works, artistic expressions of a high quality. Tchaikovsky defined the symphony as “the most lyrical of musical forms. After all, is it not meant to express that for which there are no words, but which forces itself out of the soul, impatiently waiting to be uttered?”. With these words, Tchaikovsky makes us aware of the special nature of his symphonies. Primarily, they provided him with a musical outlet for the elaboration of his emotions, his mental & spiritual processes. Probably the greatest error as far as the reception of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies is concerned, is that the subjectivity of his symphonic sound world, the sweet mellifluousness of 1 melody or another confused & irritated the judgment of the academics to the same degree in which these musical characteristics met, by contrast, with euphoric approval from a wide-ranging audience. After all, especially in German-speaking countries, his music was unjustly stamped as follows: “Beware! Sensitive, sloppy sentiment!”. But Tchaikovsky absolutely did not want to get involved in an academic game with empty notes. And rightly so.

(more…)

Read more

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony Op.58 (2013) SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev – Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony Op.58 (2013)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & DST64 5.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Digital Booklet | 2.76 GB 
FLAC Image+CUE 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 941 MB 

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Manfred is a hermaphrodite – at least, as far as the music is concerned. For although the work (dating from 1885) was indeed dubbed by its creator as a symphony, it still did not receive a number alongside Tchaikovsky’s further six contributions to the category. And thus it was – and has still to some extent remained – “draped” over a stool, as it were: isolated in Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre somewhere between the categories of the symphony and the symphonic poem. Nevertheless, Manfred is definitely based on a literary programme. And what a programme – the eponymous dramatic poem written by the “dark romantic” poet, Lord Byron. Tchaikovsky devoted himself to this and to its eponymous hero with zeal, and seemed to even somewhat transform himself into Manfred during the intensive period of work. After all, he was also suffering from inner torment. And this can be heard in the music, which appears to be full of inner conflict. Nowadays, Manfred is rarely heard in the concert hall. Perhaps due to its rather “overloaded” subject? Perhaps due to its unclear stylistic positioning? Or perhaps due to the model upon which it is based, which today is virtually unknown? Towards the end, during the redemption of Manfred, there is even an organ added to the full orchestra. (Incidentally, this was recorded separately in Berlin for the recording at hand.) An apotheosis – however, the “taste” involved here is a subject worthy of debate.

(more…)

Read more

Mikhail Pletnev – Live at Victoria-Hall (2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Mikhail Pletnev - Live at Victoria-Hall (2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz] Download

Mikhail Pletnev – Live at Victoria-Hall (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:26:25 minutes | 2,67 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Claves Records

It should have been just another memorable con­cert in the hectic life of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra. However, the global Covid-19 pandemic decided otherwise and turned this summit meeting with conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy and pianist Mikhaïl Pletnev into a historical moment. Chronicle of an extraordinary adventure…in every respect.
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Mikhail Pletnev and Russian National Orchestra – Rimsky-Korsakov: Orchestral Suites (2010) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Mikhail Pletnev and Russian National Orchestra – Rimsky-Korsakov: Orchestral Suites (2010)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:00:30 minutes | 1020 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © PentaTone

While the old saying “All that glitters is not gold” wasn’t coined with Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral works in mind, it might well have been. As shown by the three pieces here — the suites from the operas The Snow Maiden and The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Night on Mount Triglav, and from the ballet-opera Mlada — Rimsky-Korsakov was profligate in his use of glittering sounds: tinkling percussion, twittering winds, shimmering strings, and the occasional crashing cymbal. The Russian late Romantic master was adept at integrating such onomatopoetic sounds into his scores so that they come across less like sound effects than as unified parts of the whole. Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra are less successful at creating a unified whole out of any of these works. Though the musicians play brilliantly, with plenty of color and virtuosity, Pletnev sounds like more of a tourist than a native; he happily notes all the sights along the way, but seems to have little idea where he’s going and less idea of how to get there. If energy and beauty are your sole criteria, this spectacularly recorded PentaTone disc will be just the thing. If, however, form and content are more important, Evgeny Svetlanov’s recordings of these works are more effective. Though the sound is far less impressive, the performances are far more cogent and convincing.

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