Taking stock: Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony

[fergus]

This is a not often spoken about but really good work in my opinion. The following recordings illustrate the limited number of versions that I own....

Jansons – Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra [Chandos]
Litton – Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra [Virgin]
Previn – London Symphony Orchestra [EMI]
Svetlanov – USSR Symphony Orchestra [Meloydia]

....so I definitely want to increase my “Manfred” collection.
So what is your favourite version if you have any?
What recommendations do you have for this not so popular work?

A quick look on Amazon throws up the following that may be of interest....

Jurowski – London Philharmonic [LPO]
Rozhdestvensky – Russian Federation Large Symphony Orchestra [Alto]
Pletnev – Russian National Orchestra [Pentatone]
Chailly – Concertgebouw Orchestra [Decca]
Ashkenazy – Philharmonia Orchestra [Decca]
Kletzky - Philharmonia Orchestra [Testament]

Any thoughts?

[mcq]

A wonderful piece of musc, Fergus, and arguably more satisfying and dramatically coherent than Byron's long poem that inspired it.  Of the versions you mention, I own Jansons and Litton as well as Pletnev's earlier version on DG and Ashkenazy's version on Decca.  All are very rewarding but I have a preference for Jansons and Pletnev.  I haven't yet heard the latter's more recent version on Pentatone but the earlier version is great value coupled  with the tone poems.  Ashkenazy is also very underrated in my view.  He always had a great working relationship with the Philharmonia (I believe it was the first violinist with this orchestra that encouraged him strongly to take up conducting despite having no formal training) and there is a fine sense of warmth projected in the performance as well as a clear and identifiable interpretive stance.  I own the wonderful 50 years on Decca box and it's a fine testimonial to the man as musician and conductor.  Pletnev has always impressed me greatly as a Tchaikovsky interpreter and his performance of Manfred ranks wth the best - fiery and intense yet insightful and balanced.  Pletnev is, like Ashkenazy, also a superb interpreter of Tchaikovsky's solo piano music.  One version I'm very interested in hearing is the late Lorin Maazel's with the VPO.  I've always enjoyed Maazel's studious, cerebral approach to the music he conducts and a recently released box of his 1960s Vienna recordings for Decca looks very tempting (despite my already owning the Sibelius cycle). Of the younger generation of conductors, Vasily Petrenko (Naxos) and Vladimir Jurowski (LPO) would also be worth hearing.