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Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony, Op. 58

Lento lugubre - Moderato con moto - Andante
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Vivace con spirito
Andante con moto Listen to an extract
Allegro con fuoco

The Voyevoda (Symphonic Ballad after Mickiewicz), Op. 78
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Vasily Petrenko conductor
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

NAXOS CD RELEASE OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2008

Vasily Petrenko's third recording with the RLPO, Tchaikovsky's Op. 58 is an epic programmatic symphony which epitomises the composer's romantic and passionate style. Composed between the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies, and based on the Byron poem of the same title, the four-movement work requires a large orchestra and makes use of Berlioz's technique of an idée fixe - a theme recurring throughout the work.

'Feel that crackle of electricity. Listen to the woodwinds’ bright dexterity in the water sprays of the second movement, the strings’ ravishingly controlled pianissimo at the movement’s close, or the fat confidence of the brass. Throughout, the orchestra’s ensemble spirit is so tight that you could cut yourself on the music’s edges.'
The Times - read the full review

'Manfred's conflicts of joy and despair, doubt and elation, which were qualities that Tchaikovsky shared in his own psyche, are perceptively probed by Vasily Petrenko and an RLPO on top form... This is essential listening.'
The Telegraph - read the full review

'The Manfred symphony gives the RLP a chance to brood in style, especially in the lower registers, before rising to inspired dramatic heights.'
The Guardian - read the full review