Tchaikovsky Symphonies Nos 4 5 6 Gergiev (2011)

Valery Gergiev is widely recognised as the greatest modern interpreter of Tchaikovskys music and the Mariinsky holds a peerless reputation in the repertoire Together they deliver definitive interpretations of Tchaikovskys most popular symphonies These acclaimed performances were filmed at Salle Pleyel in Paris during January 2010 directed by Andy Sommer The themes of fate and death pervade Tchaikovskys final symphonies The composition of the Fourth Symphony coincided with the breakdown of Tchaikovskys marriage and a failed suicide attempt yet he considered it to be his greatest In contrast he believed his Fifth to be flawed and uninviting yet today this heartfelt work is widely regarded as one of his finest The subject of fate is further instilled in the Sixth Symphony premiered shortly before Tchaikovskys death It was posthumously entitled Pathétique by his brother and is a deeply melancholic work full of dynamic extremes and an inherent sense of finality