Boris Tchaikovsky composed his First Symphony in 1947, at about the time of his 
graduation from the Moscow Conservatory, where Shostakovich was one of his 
teachers. Shostakovich was impressed by the symphony and recommended it to 
Mravinsky, who agreed to give the first performance. These were the dark Zhdanov 
years, which had ostracised Shostakovich as well as many other Russian 
composers. Anyone belonging to Shostakovich's circle was also regarded with much 
suspicion. As a result, the first performance of the symphony took place in 1962 
conducted by Kondrashin.

The First Symphony is traditionally laid-out, in four movements with the Scherzo 
placed second. The first movement, roughly in modified sonata-form, opens with a 
pensive tune played by the strings, that progressively expands generating new 
themes and variants. Some fragments will keep re-appearing, which helps keep the 
overall formal and thematic coherence of the whole. The first movement ends 
calmly and the animated Scherzo cuts-in in full contrast with the preceding 
music. This is lively and slightly ironic. A whimsical tune played by the 
clarinet is not unlike some material heard in the later Clarinet Concerto 
(1957). The third movement is a deeply-felt Largo unfolding without undue 
pathos. The final movement, actually a set of variations, which some may find 
inconclusive, is a typical Tchaikovsky product, in that the composer liked to 
end a work in a deceptively simple way. Some may understandably expect some 
sub-Shostakovich stuff; but even a cursory hearing will reveal a number of 
striking differences and many elements that will be regarded as typical 
Tchaikovsky fingerprints: clarity of thought, clarity and lightness of the 
scoring and - in the final movement - some childlike, though definitely not 
childish, innocence. The latter is a recurring feature in many of Tchaikovsky's 
later works: the final section of Signs of the Zodiac (1974), the finale of the 
Chamber Symphony (1967) or the concluding song of the beautiful song cycle The 
Last Spring (1980). It is clear, though, that Tchaikovsky never rejected the 
Russian symphonic tradition, but that he could breathe fresh air into it. 
Similarly, he managed to keep the temptations of Neo-classicism at bay. 
Tchaikovsky's First Symphony clearly reveals a real though personal symphonist 
which later works will only serve to confirm.

After leaving the Moscow Conservatory he had to find some way to make a living. 
He thus worked for the radio and also composed a number of film scores. Two of 
them, Aibolit-66 (1966) and Balzaminov's Marriage (1964), are available on 
Boheme Music (CDBMR908085). While working for the radio he composed a number of 
incidental scores for radio dramas. He had a particular fondness for his music 
for Korolenko's play The Murmuring Forest (1953), the score of which was 
considered lost, much to the composer's dismay. However, it turned up in the 
archives of the Moscow Radio Library and the suite heard here has been arranged 
from that material. In 1952 he composed some incidental music for Leo Tolstoy's 
play After the Ball. Writing such music provided him with many opportunities to 
enlarge his palette. The music for After the Ball has its share of affectionate 
parody and tongue-in-cheek irony, without ever overlooking the darker moments of 
the play. The score consists of a number of dance tunes: a Waltz that might have 
been written by his namesake; but also some more personal music, such as in 
March [track 15], that has a fife-and-drum tune redolent of the opening of 
Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije. Tchaikovsky, however, counterpoints it with an 
ominous modal melody, with strongly expressive results. The Murmuring Forest is 
actually much finer and certainly more personal. In this Tchaikovsky proves 
himself a brilliant illustrator; and the score abounds in felicitous touches: 
the atmospheric opening of the first movement [track 5] and its varied 
restatement in the final section [track 9].

These early works of Tchaikovsky are really well served by excellent 
performances that make the best of them. The First Symphony stands out as an 
accomplished work of substance. This impressive piece reveals a serious, sincere 
composer, whose music succeeds in being personal, without either rejecting 
tradition or adopting a more modernistic stance, while overtly eschewing 
Socialistic Realism. I hope that this, the second Naxos disc devoted to 
Tchaikovsky's music, will soon be followed by many more. I particularly look 
forward to hearing his six string quartets. 

  --Hubert Culot