Please note: Some of this post comes from a previous post I published February 14, 2023 on Tchaikovsky Symphony no. 6 with some significant edits in recommended recordings.
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Building a Collection #8
Symphony no. 6 in B minor, “Pathetique”
By Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
"Just as I was starting on my journey the idea came to me for a new symphony, this time with a program, but a program which will remain an enigma to all— let them guess it who can"
-Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky’s final symphony is Symphony no. 6, nicknamed the “Pathetique”. The nickname was reportedly given to the symphony by Pyotr’s brother Modest, and the publisher decided to keep it. The word “pathetique” does not translate directly to the English word “pathetic” as we might think, but rather “emotionally moving, notably by demonstration or evocation of suffering.” That is indeed an apt description for Tchaikovsky’s final symphony.
Tchaikovsky completed his Symphony no. 6 in August 1893, and he himself conducted the first performance of the symphony in St. Petersburg on October 28, 1893. He was dead eight days later. The second performance of this most tragic of symphonies was given only twenty days later in the same location as part of a memorial concert to the composer.
Despite the fact that Tchaikovsky’s international reputation had grown tremendously outside Russia in his later years, he was still left in a deepening depression and in despair because he was rarely recognized by his own countrymen as a great composer. Furthermore, Tchaikovsky’s patroness Nadezhda von Meck had inexplicably cut off her correspondence with him in 1890, a terrible blow that the composer never fully recovered from in those last few years of his life. Finally, Tchaikovsky still harbored the fear that his homosexuality would somehow come to public light, which could lead to humiliating consequences since it was regarded as a crime and could lead to the loss of his civil rights and reputation.
As a composer, Tchaikovsky also had concerns that his creative juices had run dry and that he had written himself out. A recent trip to see his old governess put him in a nostalgic, but pleasant mood. The retrospective along with Tchaikovsky’s fundamentally pessimistic outlook on life somehow inspired him to get to work on what would eventually become, in his own opinion, his greatest masterpiece. In the winter of that year he wrote to a nephew that he was in a positive state of mind and was hard at work on a new symphony with a program – “but a program that will be a riddle for everyone. Let them try and solve it.” He left a few hints: “The program of this symphony is completely saturated with myself and quite often during my journey I cried profusely.” On March 24th of 1893 he completed the sketch of the second movement and noted with satisfaction, “O Lord, I thank Thee! Today, March 24th, completed preliminary sketch well!!!”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as Tchaikovsky was delayed in working on the symphony further until summer. The ideas came to him more slowly, and he felt unsure of himself. And yet he noted, “It will be…no surprise if this symphony is abused and unappreciated – that has happened before. But I definitely find it my very best, and in particular the most sincere of all my compositions. I love it as I have never loved any of my musical children.”
Symphony no. 6 was to be the last work he would complete. The premiere was well received, though there was puzzlement at the somber and quiet ending, something that had rarely ever been attempted in a symphony. His contemporary Rimsky-Korsakov found Tchaikovsky at intermission and demanded to know if there was a program to the very expressive symphony. Tchaikovsky admitted that indeed there was, but he was not going to reveal it. However, among Tchaikovsky’s personal papers was found this note:
“The ultimate essence of the plan of the symphony is LIFE. First part – all impulsive passion, confidence, thirst for activity. Must be short. (Finale DEATH – result of collapse.) Second part love; third disappointments; fourth ends dying away (also short).”
Tchaikovsky died a mere eight days after the premiere, and his death has been surrounded by mystery ever since. There were no hints of ill health when he conducted the premiere. It is generally believed his death was the result of contracting cholera from drinking a glass of unboiled water during an epidemic. But the way the symphony ended, and that he suffered a great deal of intestinal distress and pain, has led some scholars to speculate that Tchaikovsky may have poisoned himself due to his fear of being denounced to the Tsar as a homosexual by a duke with whose nephew he had struck up a friendship. Still other scholars discount this possibility, and say the end of the symphony was related to Tchaikovsky’s strong premonitions of impending death. Ultimately, we don’t really know how Tchaikovsky died, but his final statement in the form of the Pathetique remains as powerful today as ever.
Steven Ledbetter, program annotator for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for many years, describes each movement:
I. The slow introduction begins in the “wrong” key but works its way around to B minor and the beginning of the Allegro non troppo. The introduction proves to foreshadow the main thematic material, which is a variant of the opening figure in the bassoon over the dark whispering of the double basses. The great climax to which this builds is a splendid preparation for one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest tunes, a falling and soaring melody that is worked to a rich climax and then dies away with a lingering afterthought in the clarinet. An unexpected orchestral crash begins the tense development section, which builds a wonderful sense of energy as the opening thematic material returns in a distant key and only gradually works around to the tonic. The romantic melody, now in the tonic key of B major, is especially passionate.
II. The second movement is quite simply a scherzo and Trio, but it has a couple of special wrinkles of its own. Tchaikovsky was one of the great composers of the orchestral waltz (think of the third movement of the Fifth symphony); here he chose to write a waltz that happens to be in 5/4 time! (typically waltzes are in ¾ time)...the odd rhythmic twist is more than compensated for by the extraordinary grace of the music.
III. The third movement is a brilliant march, beginning with rushing busy triplets that alternate with a crisp march melody that bursts out into a climactic full orchestral version, a momentary triumph.
IV. That triumph comes to a sudden end with the beginning of the final movement, which bears the unprecedented marking “Adagio lamentoso.” The first theme is divided between the two violin parts in such a way that neither the first nor second violin part alone makes sense, but when played together they result in a simple, expressive, descending melody. The second theme, a more flowing Andante, builds to a great orchestral climax exceeded only by the climax of the opening material that follows. This dies away and a single stroke of the tam-tam, followed by a soft and sustained dark passage for trombones and tuba, brings in the “dying fall” of the ending, the second theme descending into the lowest depths of cellos and basses.
Has a more autobiographical piece of music ever been written? While Tchaikovsky’s Sixth is certainly consistent with his pessimistic view of life, like all great art his music was also a way for him to try to rise above and transcend the vagaries of his life. Similarly for those of us that listen to it now, counter-intuitively we often find solace in the acknowledgement of the truth of the human condition and at the same time we can marvel at what the human mind, heart, and spirit can produce in the way of great art.
Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique has been one of my favorites since my mom had an old LP of Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra playing the symphony. As I recall, when I was a teenager I convinced my mom to buy it when we were at the grocery store, as in those days classical records were often sold in a series in local groceries (I also asked if I could buy The Beatles’ Red and Blue albums, but she said no to those). The symphony is so full of emotion, terror, sadness, triumph, and anguish, I remember being haunted by it. I have loved Tchaikovsky ever since.
Recommended recordings
If you are a regular reader, you will notice that some of my recommendations for recordings of this symphony have changed since my previous post about Tchaikovsky’s symphonies several months ago. There are so many good recordings, but in my quest to find the best recordings, I had to make a few changes.
A recent Gramophone magazine article by Andrew Farach-Colton makes the point that very few conductors have actually adhered to the score when it comes to recordings of the Pathetique. Most of them seem to not completely trust what Tchaikovsky wrote, which is a pity since the score is extremely detailed in terms of speeds, dynamics, and the use of rubato. Farach-Colton argues that even though Tchaikovsky was a great writer of melodies, that does not give conductors free reign to play fast and easy with the structure. He says conductors should take Tchaikovsky’s markings at their face value. I agree, but not at the expense of drama and excitement. A balance of adherence to the score and an infusion of vitality and energy is ideal.
Speaking of the score, if you are unfamiliar with the Pathetique, you will want to be aware of the sharp, blaring note marked ffff (fortissississimo or as loud as possible) about midway through the first movement, by far the loudest note in the symphony and something that will throw you out of your chair if you are not expecting it! Stay close to the volume control.
Top choice
The legendary 1960 recording of the Pathetique by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky, on the Deutsche Grammophon label, remains among the finest recordings ever made and is the top choice for this symphony. It was during a concert tour by the Leningrad Philharmonic that DG struck upon the idea of recording them in Europe and capturing the orchestra and Mravinsky’s legendary way with Tchaikovsky in much better sound than could be achieved in the Soviet Union at the time. As it happened Symphony no. 6 was recorded in November 1960 in the Musikverein in Vienna, a legendary recording venue.
Yevgeny Mravinsky was perhaps the greatest conductor ever of Russian music, and in my view the greatest Tchaikovsky conductor of all-time. He had a natural understanding of what Tchaikovsky was trying to communicate with the terror and the despair, with the soaring and crashing melodies, with the bipolar changes in mood and tempos inherent in the Tchaikovsky symphonies. Mravinsky was not a conductor to follow the composer’s markings strictly, but rather he was driven by an intuitive interpretation of what Tchaikovsky was trying to say and then he amplified it. Speeds change as the music changes, and we are taken to the edge of frenzy and beyond, to the most delicate places of dreamlike emotion, and to the depths of darkness. This is Tchaikovsky that not only wears its heart on its sleeve, but wears it everywhere else too.
In Beethoven or Mozart, a lack of orchestral discipline and unity can utterly ruin a performance. However, in Tchaikovsky some lack of beauty in ensemble and sound may actually enhance the listening experience, at least for me. What you hear in these recordings is the passion of live recordings, even though they were not made live. You will notice the strings and the brass have a sharper edge than other orchestras at that time, perhaps because the Soviet-made instruments were not of the highest quality during communism. The trumpets at times have a buzzing, metallic, kazoo-like quality to them. You will notice the rough edges. You will hear a tremulous quality to the woodwind playing, and in the brass, that almost sounds “wobbly”. Nevermind these imperfections. This is characteristic of Russian orchestras at the time, and how they used to play. The playing feels like the entire orchestra proclaiming, “We know how to play Tchaikovsky, it is in our blood.” This is an exciting, seductive, and spectacular reading that, in my view, has never been surpassed.
Mravinsky’s control is relentless. There is a vitality here that borders on chaos, but this is intended. The burning intensity is palpable, and occasionally I find myself needing to step away from the fire. But this Pathetique is so special that I dare say Tchaikovsky himself would approve. The overall vision is captivating, and where Mravinsky succeeds supremely is in the acceleration and deceleration of the music at key moments. Mravinsky’s sense of exactly when to push things and when to pull back is uncanny and builds maximum excitement. The opening movement is faster than customary, and generates a lot of emotion. I have never heard the final movement played with more passion and heartbreak. The control of the structure and of dynamics is masterful. There are really too many moments to highlight, but you just need to listen. Even with its imperfections, the overall impact is powerful.
Classic choices
The great Italian conductor Carlo Maria Giulini had his best years with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and his recording for EMI from 1959, recorded in Kingsway Hall in London, remains one of the finest versions and one I return to often for its combination of power and refined lyricism. Even with some background hiss, the sound is still very good. From first to last, Giulini keeps up the concentration. Woodwinds and brass are particularly wonderful, and the strings have a fantastic sound. The terror and heartbreak are there in spades, but Giulini’s experience as an opera conductor is evident too in his ability to bring out the melodies superbly. This is the legendary Giulini before he slowed everything down to a crawl in his later years. Outstanding.
A somewhat recent discovery for me is the exceptional 1957 Pathetique recording by Dmitri Mitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic on the Columbia/Sony label. This recording was not available for quite some time but has now reappeared in a new remastering on most streaming services, and the sound is remarkably vivid and natural. Mitropoulos leads a feverish, tightly controlled performance which moves relatively fast especially in the first and last movements. The approach works in spades, as it brings new perspectives and feels as though listening to the symphony anew. No sluggishness here! The music flows smoothly, but still carries with it the ardent passion we have come to associate with Tchaikovsky. The earth-shattering ffff note at the development section of the first movement arrives like a bolt. The second movement is full of lyricism and color, while the scherzo march pushes forward effectively. The finale is faster than most versions, but such is the quality of playing that it does not detract from the overall vision. What Mitropoulos shows is that there is more than one way to play this emotive music. Highly recommended.
Modern choices
The recording by the newly formed (at the time) Russian National Orchestra debut disc from 1991 led by the 34 year-old pianist turned conductor Mikhail Pletnev on Virgin Records was one of the first CDs I ever owned, and it still packs quite a punch. Pletnev’s way with Tchaikovsky is by turns fiery and yet sometimes unsentimental. The first movement is taken at a relatively swift pace, and the ffff climax is overwhelming. However, it is the Allegro molto vivace third movement that astonishes with its quick pace and superb virtuosity. This is scintillating music-making, and this particular recording of the third movement has never been equalled in my opinion. It is probably too fast to be an actual march, but effective nonetheless. The finale is articulate and sincere. Pletnev went on to record the Pathetique twice more with the RNO, once for DG and once for Pentatone. The latter recordings tend to be softer grained and really don’t improve on this first effort. This is one of my favorites.
While in general I have been somewhat underwhelmed by other recordings thus far from the Berlin Philharmonic and their young director Kirill Petrenko, their first recording together was this Pathetique from 2017 on the BPO’s own label, and it is a triumph. It is taken from a live recording, but you would hardly know it. The sound is clean, warm and realistic, although I should note the brass don’t seem to be ideally balanced. The performance as a whole is a bit faster than some others, but I find the interpretation very satisfying. The orchestral ensemble and phrasing are nearly perfect, and the BPO truly sounds like the greatest orchestra in the world. The first and last movements are particularly effective. While this is a more straightforward, precision-type approach than Mravinsky’s, it is certainly thrilling in its own way.
Honorable Mention
I acknowledge that other listeners may have different tastes in Tchaikovsky than I do, and so below are listed some other critically acclaimed recordings not on my list, but that you may want to hear or sample for yourself. They are listed in chronological order by original release date (you may note for some conductors that recorded the Pathetique more than once such as Karajan, Fricsay, Bernstein and others, the preferred recording is indicated by the year):
Philharmonia Orchestra with Guido Cantelli (EMI/Warner, 1952)
Berlin Philharmonic with Ferenc Fricsay (DG, 1953)
Berlin Philharmonic with Herbert von Karajan (DG, 1964)
New York Philharmonic with Leonard Bernstein (Sony, 1965)
The Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Ormandy (RCA, 1968)
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam with Semyon Bychkov (Philips/Universal, 1987)
Kirov Orchestra with Valery Gergiev (Decca, 1999)
London Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Jurowski (LPO, 2009)
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Vasily Petrenko (Onyx, 2015)
MusicAeterna with Teodor Currentzis (Sony, 2017)
Thank you once again for your readership, and best wishes until next time when we will feature #9 in the Building a Collection series, Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring).
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Notes:
Barnett,Rob.http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/feb14/Tchaikovsky_sys456_PASC396.htm
Farach-Colton, Andrew. The Gramophone Collection: Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathetique’ Symphony. Gramophone Magazine. July 2022. Pp. 108-113.
Ledbetter, Steven. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Symphony no. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathetique”. Boston Symphony Orchestra program notes. 2007-2008 season. Pp. 61-69.
Steinberg, Michael, The Symphony (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1995). ISBN 0-19-506177-2.
Tchaikovsky, M., Letters, vol.1.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1672211.Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky
https://www.quoteikon.com/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky-quotes.html