TRACKLISTING

Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4
1 Movt 1 – Andante sostenuto –Moderato con anima
2 Movt 2 – Andantino in moto in canzone
3 Movt 3 – Scherzo: Pizzicato ostinato
4 Movt 4 – Allegro con fuoco

Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5
5 Movt 1 - Allegro non troppo
6 Movt 2 - Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza
7 Movt 3 - Valse: Allegro Moderato
8 Movt 4 - Andante maestoso-Allegro vivace

Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6
9 Movt 1 Adagio - Allegro con brio
10 Movt 2 Allegro con grazia
11 Movt 3 . Allegro molto vivace
12 Movt 4 . Adagio lamentoso

RECORDING INFORMATION

Valery Gergiev is the greatest conductor alive.
The Sunday Times (London)

"I think Tchaikovsky was always ready for immortality...and with his final three symphonies he secured his place in the pantheon of Great Composers [...] When recording live we go for energy, we go for excitement, and still - hopefully - we go for good musical quality"
Valery Gergiev

Tchaikovsky's 4th & 6th Symphonies are released along with the 5th Symphony recorded live at the Salzburg festival, which has been an outstanding disc in the Philips catalogue for some years, becoming one of the best-selling discs in Maestro Gergiev's mighty discography.

The Fourth Symphony was written at a particularly crucial point in Tchaikovsky's life for 1877 was not only the year of his disastrous marriage but also the year in which he began his fifteen year correstpondence with his patroness Nadezhda von Meck.

The Fourth Symphony has always been a popular work with it's muscular melodic writing and pervading sense of Fate, which Tchaikovsky believed controlled his destiny - "the fateful force which prevents the impulse to happiness from achieving it's goal..."

This recording of the 5th Symphony has been an outstanding part of the Philips catalogue for some years and has become one of the best-selling discs in Maestro Gergiev's mighty discography. The highly acclaimed recording was made live at the Salzburg Festival in July 1998 and is a glorious example of what can happen when a great conductor stands before a great orchestra.

Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, known as the Pathetique, is among his most deeply moving and profound works - a masterpiece which he considered to be his greatest composition. Once again the struggle against fate is central to this symphony which was to be Tchaikovsky's last. The premiere took place in October 1893 in St.Petersburg, and just 8 days later the composer was dead. Few musical farewells are more poignant.

Please Note: This performance of the Pathetique was recorded in Vienna on the day of the school tragedy in Beslan, which is just a short distance from Valery Gergiev's home town. Maestro Gergiev chose to perform this deeply moving work at fund raising galas for the people of Beslan in November 2004

This series will surely become the definitive versions of Tchaikovsky's much loved late symphonies - in glorious digital sound.