Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6

Like that gold standard of symphonies, Beethoven's Fifth, Tchaikovsky's fourth and fifth symphonies confront fate with alternating resistance and resignation, a pattern that culminates in his sixth, the "PathŽtique." Premiered mere days before the composer's mysterious death, it has become the stuff of legend, striking listeners as both a triumphant swan song and a sort of musical suicide note. No less legendary are these wonderfully warm mono recordings of the great Mravinsky and his orchestra from Tchaikovsky's home city. Although rumors had reached the West, nothing prepared '50s audiences for these stunning performances, still benchmarks after half a century.