PYOTR IL'YICH TCHAIKOVSKY

Melodious, passionate, and accessible, the music of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky has lured many a youth into classical music--if only because his 1812 OVERTURE is dragged out every July 4th and his NUTCRACKER every Christmas. That these and other of his compositions have become warhorses attests to his never flagging popularity. Jeremy Siepmann's 4-CD review of the Russian's life and works (part of Naxos's ongoing series on great composers) should therefore be most welcome, especially to the budding concertgoer. Siepmann nicely reads his own informal prose, which he generously amplifies with musical excerpts and quotes from contemporary documents read by British actors. He presents no musicological analysis but concentrates on biographical detail and the emotional content of the music, which is vigorously played. A 106-page pamphlet supplements the audio. A handsome and informative introduction to one of the immortals. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]