Symphonies 1 & 2

These exciting, punchy performances are colorful and very appealing. Leonard Bernstein's Tchaikovsky was widely perceived as the last word in interpretive excess, but there's nothing willful or strange here: just good clean fun and some truly lovely music. This well-filled disc will have you wondering why these symphonies are so seldom encountered in the concert hall. They are every inch the same Tchaikovsky as later masterpieces. You'll enjoy getting to know them. --David Hurwitz