Beloved by audiences, Tchaikovsky’s last two symphonies were interpreted and recorded by the Austrian conductor numerous times, but, paradoxically, he never really attained his best form in them, often giving ostentatious readings that bordered on the pompous. Though less recorded than the popular Pathétique, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, with its peculiar mix of tragedy and elegance, was perhaps the Tchaikovsky symphony of which Karajan gave the most convincing interpretations, the one that was closer to his artistic sensitivity, and which enabled him to put to good use the wonderful and smooth virtuosity of the orchestras with which he recorded. In Italy, of course, Karajan could not count on orchestral ensembles of the same level, especially with regards to the brass and wind instruments in general. However, thanks to his charisma, he was able to give equally impressive performances with the Turin and Rome RAI Symphony Orchestras, performances that are indelibly marked by his strong personality. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 was recorded at the RAI Auditorium in Turin on 1st March 1953, when Karajan was making his first LP recording of this work (with the Philharmonia Orchestra), which he began in July 1952 and completed in the autumn of the following year. In spite of a few smudges, this live recording is entirely persuasive, last but not least for the enthusiasm and conviction lavished by the orchestra throughout the work.
No less enjoyable is the triumphant performance of Sibelius’s Finlandia, one of the orchestral works most loved by Karajan, who between 1952 and 1976 made as many as five recordings of it.
The warlike passion, the heroic, patriotic élan are truly magnificent in this reading, and if the brass section should be a touch more in tune, the performance is so spontaneous and eloquent that it is perhaps more convincing than other, more refined interpretations which do not communicate the same enthusiasm.