Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 by Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León

Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, Op. 58

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212102121
Catnr: SIGCD 1021
Release date: 13 November 2026
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1 CD	€ 19.95	Preorder

Label
Signum Classics

UPC
0635212102121

Catalogue number
SIGCD 1021

Release date
13 November 2026

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

About the album

This album, Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 presents the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León under music director Thierry Fischer in one of the composer's most ambitious works. Recorded at the Jesús López Cobos Symphonic Hall, Valladolid, in July 2025, Fischer's approach treats the four-movement symphony as a single dramatic arc, shaped by the persistent return of the Manfred motif through scenes ranging from Alpine wandering to the subterranean palace of Arimanes. Neither a numbered symphony nor a symphonic poem but a hybrid of both, the Manfred Symphony is the largest symphonic work Tchaikovsky ever completed, in both duration and the scale of its orchestral forces.

Artist(s)

Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León

The Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra (OSCyL), one of Spain’s most prestigious symphonic institutions, is a project of the Regional Government of Castilla y León. It gave its first performance in 1991 and, since 2007 it has been based at the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre in Valladolid. The Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer is the current Music Director, with Vasily Petrenko and Elim Chan serving as Associate Conductors. Max Bragado-Darman, Alejandro Posada, Lionel Bringuier and Andrew Gourlay have previously held the position of Principal Conductor. Since the 2022–2023 season, the orchestra has offered annual artistic residencies, featuring artists such as Javier Perianes, Antoine Tamestit, Emmanuel Pahud, Kirill Gerstein and Pablo Ferrández. In the 2026–2027 season, it will host the violinist Midori. From...

Since the 2022–2023 season, the orchestra has offered annual artistic residencies, featuring artists such as Javier Perianes, Antoine Tamestit, Emmanuel Pahud, Kirill Gerstein and Pablo Ferrández. In the 2026–2027 season, it will host the violinist Midori. From 2023–2024 onwards, it has also introduced composer residencies (Anna Clyne, Gabriela Ortiz and Francisco Coll). In the 2026–2027 season, American composer Andrew Norman will begin his residency.

With a strong commitment to the entire territory of the Castilla y León region, the orchestra performs regularly in each of its nine provinces, as well as in Spain’s principal venues and festivals. Internationally, it has appeared in Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, India, Oman and the United States, including venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, and a residency at the Cartagena International Music Festival (Colombia).

The orchestra regularly collaborates with many of today’s most renowned soloists and conductors. It has commissioned numerous works, as well as performing premieres and rediscoveries. This work is supported by its discography, which includes releases on labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, BIS, Naxos, Tritó, Verso and Signum. It is currently recording a cycle of Bruckner’s symphonies with Vasily Petrenko for the latter label.

With nearly four thousand annual subscribers, more than a thousand come from over twenty towns across Castilla y León, thanks to a free coach service provided by the regional government, aimed at enhancing accessibility and extending the reach of its activities across the region.

OSCyL takes particular pride in the MiraDas programme, its socio-educational area shared with the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre. It also actively coordinates the Sentir la Música and In Crescendo programmes, in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Education of Castilla y León, which are delivered in schools with pupils at risk of social exclusion and in special education centres. It also presents concerts for schools and families, and hosts open rehearsals and music workshops for babies and early childhood.

Within this educational work, special mention should also be made of the OSCyL Joven (a youth orchestra created in the 2022–2023 season), whose aim is to promote the talent of younger generations in Castilla y León. This youth orchestra encourages a spirit of social engagement through volunteering, and its members have the opportunity to work with leading international guest conductors and, above all, with the permanent members of OSCyL, thereby fostering the development of future talent from within the heart of the orchestra.

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Thierry Fischer (conductor)

Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer is Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and also, from April 2008, Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic. From 2001-2006 he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra. Fischer studied flute with Aurèle Nicolet and began his musical career as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera, where he studied scores with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and was profoundly influenced by him. His conducting career began in his 30’s when he replaced an ailing colleague, subsequently directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado, who encouraged and inspired him in his new-found talent for conducting. Spending his apprentice years in Holland, Thierry Fischer...

Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer is Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and also, from April 2008, Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic. From 2001-2006 he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra.
Fischer studied flute with Aurèle Nicolet and began his musical career as Principal Flute in Hamburg and at the Zurich Opera, where he studied scores with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and was profoundly influenced by him. His conducting career began in his 30’s when he replaced an ailing colleague, subsequently directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado, who encouraged and inspired him in his new-found talent for conducting. Spending his apprentice years in Holland, Thierry Fischer has since appeared with many leading orchestras in the UK and Europe.

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Composer(s)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is considered as one of the most talented Russian composers of the 19th century. Unlike many other Russian composers of his time, he studied at a conservatory and made the western music theory his own. So, he was not as distrustful of western music as the group of nationalistic composers surrounding Balakirev. Yet, Tchaikovsky sought to express the typical Russian mentality just as much and used many Russian folk songs in his music. He had a good relationship with Balakirev, who helped him with constructive feedback on his first masterpiece, the overture of Romeo and Juliet. At times, Tchaikovsky was emotionally unstable, which has often been attributed to struggles with his homosexuality. His decision to marry proved to be disastrous and plunged him into a deep crisis. Yet, the passionate letters of his fiance, even though they barely knew each other, did inspire him to compose his succesful opera Evgenij Onegin. Tchaikovsky had the wonderful gift of composing the most beautiful, lyric melodies. He had a feeling for creating a certain atmosphere in his music and mastered the art of orchestration. Moreover, he excelled in dance music, which made him the ideal composer for ballet. With his ballets The Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker he brought the genre to a higher level. During his life, he was already a celebrity. He often did tours to conduct his music and in the USA he was welcomed as a star. He died unexpectedly, nine days after the premiere of his incredibly gloomy Sixth Symphony, probably of cholera. Some other highlights of his body of works are his First Piano Concerto, his Violin Concerto and the Rococo-variations.

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