As recordings of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony go, Vasily Petrenko’s occupies the middle ground between exciting (Muti, Ashkenazy) and dull (Previn–painfully so). Petrenko effectively evokes Tchaikovsky’s sound-world, drawing colorful, rich-textured playing from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, especially the winds, from whom you can hear much detail in this performance. Petrenko is very good at projecting the first movement’s opening despair and the love music’s romantic passion, but the dramatic conclusion is a little lacking in fury. Ditto for the finale, where the orgy music falls short of its necessary frenzy (although this is a characteristic of many Manfred recordings). The grand conclusion is quite effective, however, with the organ sounding massive yet well balanced with the orchestra.
The coupled Voyevoda makes for an unusual bonus. Petrenko takes Tchaikovsky’s last tone poem at a blistering pace that sometimes blurs detail, but he makes the strings sing in the lyrical middle section and really drives home the dramatic conclusion. The recording has solid impact with a wide dynamic range, though it’s a little lacking in warmth. In sum, while Petrenko’s Manfred does not challenge the best recordings, it makes a good budget-priced alternative.
