| Naxos is known as the cut-price Classical music label, and they achieve their enviable price-tags through engaging lesser-known artists at bargain-basement prices and passing along the savings to you, the consumer. This can work superbly, when those talents are obscure for reasons unrelated to their artistry. But in this recording, I'm sorry to say, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Antoni Wit simply seems undistinguished. They may not have cost Naxos much, but they don't deliver much, either. Many college orchestras in the United States play better than this; and Wit must take part of the blame at least. In the Sixth Symphony, tempi are eccentric, generally rather slower than most conductors take the piece--the third movement march is actively ponderous, until a moment near the end when Wit seems to wake up and realize how slow things are going. Perhaps it was indeed an artistic decision, but it sounds more like a panicked lurch into a higher gear in desparation to get things going before it is too late. By contrast, the ending of the second movement (a 5/4 Waltz--one of the most gorgeous things Tchaikovsky ever wrote, and so natural in spite of the apparent difficulties) practically slows to a crawl, although there is no tempo change written in the score. And while there are moments that the orchestra plays very well indeed, especially in the last movement, the overall performance is indifferent. The development section leading to the climax of the first movement lacks sufficient tension, and many of the counterpoints are covered by poor balance and/or recording. Although Francesca da Rimini fares better, there is simply no particular reason to buy this version of these works other than the price. Even the program notes are hardly more than a description of the piece, with the usual biographical tidbits. Better to save your money and buy a more expensive but artistically superior rendition; certainly Tchaikovsky deserves it. |
