Evgeny Svetlanov’s taut, tense rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Little Russian” symphony has been available in a number of guises for decades (Quintessence LP, RCA CD, etc.). This latest remastering of the 1967 recording opens up the sound throughout the range, though there’s still the dynamic limitation and saturation at tutti passages that was endemic to Melodiya productions. But in some ways this enhances the effect of the USSR Symphony’s driven playing style, with its piercing brass, razor-edge string articulation, and piping, high-precision winds. Svetlanov drives the faster movements hard, especially the finale–one of the most rousing on disc. By contrast, he employs an unusually slow tempo for the Andante marciale, conjuring memories of the nocturnal marching found in Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. It’s a great performance.
The massed string opening of the Serenade in C is a bit jarring due to a transfer level much higher than that of the symphony and also to its harsh, glaring sound quality. Svetlanov’s slow, magisterial approach in the first movement makes Tchaikovsky’s descending scales seem endless, while the allegro proper is similarly weighed down. The waltz proceeds at a moderate pace, but come the Elegy Svetlanov has happily greased his wheels and leads a naturally flowing rendition with much sensitivity and feeling. The lethargy creeps back in for the finale’s introduction, but it’s relieved by the suitably energized allegro. Suffice it to say that the symphony is the reason for owning this disc, and the rating applies primarily to it.
