The Tchaikovsky Plus One series by pianist Barry Douglas offers Tchaikovsky works paired with those of another composer. The idea has been intelligently executed, with Douglas choosing music that illuminates aspects of Tchaikovsky's compositional character. Here, the "plus one" is Prokofiev, in the form of the Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75. These are a perfect foil for the highly melodic but rather impersonal dances and romantic melodies of Tchaikovsky included here. Douglas seems to be suggesting that ...
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The Tchaikovsky Plus One series by pianist Barry Douglas offers Tchaikovsky works paired with those of another composer. The idea has been intelligently executed, with Douglas choosing music that illuminates aspects of Tchaikovsky's compositional character. Here, the "plus one" is Prokofiev, in the form of the Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75. These are a perfect foil for the highly melodic but rather impersonal dances and romantic melodies of Tchaikovsky included here. Douglas seems to be suggesting that Tchaikovsky was, in addition to everything else, a pioneer of neoclassicism (a contention amply supported by works like the Serenade for strings, Op. 48). In the Tchaikovsky itself, Douglas is an old hand, having specialized in the composer's works since winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1986. His miniatures are free and spontaneous in spirit, giving the impression of exploration, and they reveal new details on multiple hearings. The sound from Cedars Hall...
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![Tchaikovsky: Plus One Vol 3 [Barry Douglas] [Chandos Records: Chan 20160]](https://www2.alibris-static.com/cover/o79957gg8hq_t.jpg)
