Thread: Suggest a recording of Francesca da Rimini

If you're reading this, then I assume you have a suggestion lined up already

I'm just searching for some general opinions about which recordings of Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini you think are the best - and when I say the best, I mean the most terrifyingly dramatic (and, no, I am not just interested in the ending)!

I currently own the version recorded by Ricco Saccani with the Budapest Philharmonic, and I'm very pleased with it; I certainly think it's one of the better recordings of the piece. However, I recently listened to the version by Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the sheer Hellishness of the piece became much more apparent.

So, unless I've already luckily struck gold with Muti, which recording do you think will scare me the most? :P

If you can find it, the recording with Gennadi Rhozhdestvensky and the Leningrad Phil. on DG is highly regarded by me and others. Its an old one, and may not have been transferred to CD. And of course, there's the Lenny version with his typical excesses and runs to nearly 28 mins, coupled with a wonderful 4th symphony! DG 429 778-2

I have the Lenny you mention above there Donboy and it is seriously wild but I like it

Since I posted this a while ago, I settled on Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Considering the bigger names and orchestras that have recorded this piece, I was surprised, but it's by far the best I've heard.

If you can stand very old recordings sound then go for Stokowski, there was vinyl with FdR and Kachatachatahutachurian's Masquarade Suite conducted by him and I'm pretty sure it is possible to steal it from web.

I´ve got these

cd "Francesca da Rimini", Symf. Digt op.32 (1878)/Mravinsky,LenPO/fra melodia cd
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Svetlanov,USSRSO/mel-euro 85 306xdk
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Stokowski,NYStadiumSO/everest st sdbr3011
lp "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Stokowski,LSO/rca 86 4lp R225027
LP "Francesca da Rimini", Symf.Digt op.32 (1878)/Ovchinnikov,USSRRSO/mel 82 c10 17061-62

and the Ovchinnikov has the fastest & most dramatic playing I´ve ever heard, if you should
be able to pick it up. I guarantee that you won´t be disappointed. The Mravinsky is also good.