IDAGIO | Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture 8720604703849

Featuring

Mikhail Pletnev
Russian National Orchestra
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Critical Reception

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture received a cool reception at its 1870 premiere in Moscow and during early performances in the West, but is now considered among the most famous settings of Shakespeare's works.

Composition History

Tchaikovsky's Fantasy-Overture Romeo and Juliet was initially suggested by Mili Balakirev, who provided detailed instructions for its composition.

Performer Biography

The Russian National Orchestra, founded by Mikhail Pletnev in 1990, was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tchaikovsky, a composer known for both absolute and programme music, prioritized portraying the psyche and emotional development of characters in his programme music.

Composer Biography

Tchaikovsky dedicated his Symphony No. 4 to Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy art-loving widow who became his patroness and confidante, supporting him financially and emotionally through over 1,000 letters.

Compositional Technique

In Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky describes the fanfare theme in the introduction as 'Fate, that disastrous power, which restrains one's urge for happiness from achieving its objective'.

Recording & Production

The Russian National Orchestra's recording of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Beintus's Wolf Tracks, narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton, and Mikhail Gorbachev, received a 2004 Grammy Award.