Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op.13, TH.24 - "Winter Dreams"
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Op.17, TH.25 - "Little Russian"
Symphony No.3 in D Major, Op.29, TH.26 - "Polish"
Anton Arensky (1861-1906): Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op.35a
London Symphony Orchestra
Philharmonia Hungarica
Antal Dorati
Recorded 1965 (Tchaikovsky) and 1958 (Arensky)
Mercury Living Presence 1997
flac, cue, logs and scans
Antal Dorati was a superb Tchaikovsky conductor, and we are fortunate that Mercury captured so many of his performances for posterity in such fine sound. The first three symphonies don't get much play; the Second pops up now and then on concert programs, which is a pity. They are colorful, full of the good tunes for which the composer is famous, and reasonable in length. In short, they are entirely typical of the composer, and I defy anyone to listen to the very opening of the First Symphony (subtitled Winter Dreams) and not be immediately enchanted. In fact, all three symphonies have nicknames: Winter Dreams, Little Russian, and Polish, respectively, thereby disproving the musical rule that the "name" pieces are always the most popular. Never mind, this music will give you a lot of pleasure. --David Hurwitz