Swan Lake

Montreal Symphony Orchestra / Charles Dutoit 

(Decca) 

‘It is above all a romantic reading, and rises to the occasion, appropriately reaching its peak in the great final scene.’

The Nutcracker

Berlin Philharmonic / Simon Rattle 

(EMI Classics) 

‘Rattle’s first Tchaikovsky disc, and it is so good that you rather regret he has not ventured into this repertoire before.’

Symphony No 6 ‘Pathetique’

Philharmonia Orchestra / Charles Mackerras

(Signum) 

‘There is an immediacy and incisive, almost forensic clarity to this 2009 live performance.’

Symphony No 4

London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski

(LPO)

‘I don’t think I have ever heard the Fourth Symphony sound so telling, so personal, so heart-easing.’ 

Piano Concerto No 1

Denis Matsuev pf Mariinsky Orchestra / Valery Gergiev

(Mariinsky)

‘I doubt if you will ever hear it more viscerally thrilling and sumptuously engineered than here.’

Piano Concerto No 2

Stephen Hough pf Minnesota Orchestra / Osmo Vänskä

(Hyperion)

‘This is a great recording – no doubt about that – and one which, if there is any justice, will garner any number of awards.’

Souvenir de Florence

Paul Neubauer va Colin Carr vc Emerson Quartet 

(Sony Classics)

‘Tchaikovsky’s inspiration sounds as fresh as the day it was conceived.’

Violin Concerto

Sarah Chang vn Jonathan Feldman pf London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis

(EMI)

‘Her individual artistry doesn’t demand the wayward pulling-about often found in this work.’

Romeo & Juliet

Russian National Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski

(Pentatone) 

‘Jurowski savours the differences from the original 1869 version and makes capital of the anomalies. Very exciting.’

1812 Overture

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra / Antal Dorati

(Living Presence) 

‘A tub-thumping peroration where bells, band, guns and orchestra conspire to produce one of the most riotous key-clashes in gramophone