Tchaikovsky Eugene Oneguin Bychkov

Graham Vick's production of Onegin, conducted by Andrew Davis, was one of Glyndebourne's most memorable achievements of the past 20 years. It was a staging with a wealth of psychological perceptions and beautifully rendered dramatic imagery, all held within the spare framework of Richard Hudson's designs, which still stand up superbly well under the close scrutiny of this video recording taken from performances in 1994.

Tchaikovsky wrote … " is that there will be few scenic effects , little action , in my Eugene Onegin , I get completely the same … am so happy to have escaped these routine pharaohs, all those Ethiopian princesses all these stories of poisonings ; Eugene Onegin has an infinite poetry " … Tchaikovsky wanted to call his opera, Poem , but finally opted for the subtitle of lyrical scenes , three scenes or three acts that take place following the same pattern , party and so sad party.This recording derives from a production at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1974 conducted by Solti.The team of singers here is entirely strong and convincing

Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin (2008) [2DVD] {Deutsche Grammophon} [Wiener Philharmoniker - Daniel Barenboim]
2DVD -> 10.4 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 16:9 | Russian (LinearPCM, 2 ch / DTS, 5 ch) | ~157m | ISO Images
Subs: English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 110 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Deutsche Grammophon | 073 4434
Classical / Opera

Recorded at the 2007 Salzburg Festival, this production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin features an excellent, young cast and the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by maestro Daniel Barenboim. Director Andrea Breth has created an intimate production that mines the depths of expression and charisma of her singer-actors and integrates silent secondary episodes and miniature dramas to heighten the intensity of the story. The title role–a tour de force for any baritone–is taken by Peter Mattei, who starred as Figaro in the Metropolitan Opera's HD Live Broadcast of Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Here is yet another major recording of The Nutcracker. Undoubtedly its great success stems a good deal from the superlative Berlin Philharmonic, but if also confirms Semyon Bychkov as a major new presence on the recording scene. He has the singularly important gift of bringing music to life in the recording studio as at a concert, and every bar of this performance is tingling with vitality.

Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, a tone poem based on a detailed program drawn from Lord Byron's epic poem Manfred, lasts for close to an hour and is rarely performed, although somewhat more often recorded. When conductor Semyon Bychkov proposed the present performance to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the players were unenthusiastic. But then, he recalls, "something wonderful happened…

Semyon Bychkov has been passionately devoted to the music of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky since his childhood, so he clearly regards recording all of the symphonies and the major orchestral works for Decca as a labor of love. This first volume in The Tchaikovsky Project opens with Tchaikovsky's last symphony, the Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathétique," and includes as filler the popular Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, his first masterpiece.

This compilation is excellent value. It's interesting how, as the major classical labels mine their back catalogues, once famous artists, not forgotten but perhaps somewhat sidelined by later arrivals, are being reappraised and brought back into favour. Eugene Ormandy is one such. Reissue of many of his recordings is richly deserved and hopefully will introduce a younger generation to his recorded legacy, the product of his legendary 44-year tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra.