Semyon Bychkov & Czech Philharmonic Orchestra - The Tchaikovsky Project: Pathetique, Romeo & Juliet (2016)

Semyon Bychkov has been passionately devoted to the music of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky since his childhood, so he clearly regards recording all of the symphonies and the major orchestral works for Decca as a labor of love. This first volume in The Tchaikovsky Project opens with Tchaikovsky's last symphony, the Symphony No. 6 in B minor, "Pathetique," and includes as filler the popular Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, his first masterpiece. Between these two works lies the oeuvre that Bychkov will eventually record, but this initial offering is sufficient to get collectors and Tchaikovsky fans excited. Bychkov delivers a riveting performance of the "Pathetique" with the Czech Philharmonic, choosing high energy over melancholy and making the symphony sound surprisingly defiant through its muscular counterpoint and vigorous rhythms. Romeo and Juliet also receives a dynamic interpretation, which makes the fight music especially ferocious and the overly familiar love theme unexpectedly vital in its urgency. This is an impressive beginning for a series that's sure to become an essential part of many music collections. -- Blair Sanderson