Sleeping Beauty

Tchaikovsky suffered from an extreme example of musical post-partum depression. There isn't a single piece he wrote that he didn't hate as soon as he finished it. Except this one. Sleeping Beauty is uniformly regarded as the greatest full-length, classical ballet in the history of the universe. Tchaikovsky lavished all of the love and attention of which he was capable, and produced an amazing score in which the demands of the dance are perfectly integrated within a symphony musical structure. There's every reason to listen to the complete work, even if it is quite long, because there really isn't a dull moment. Naxos's series of complete Tchaikovsky ballets is extremely fine--a great deal at budget price. --David Hurwitz