Teodor Currentzis and his Siberian-based ensemble MusicAeterna built a cult following, thanks largely to their trio of Mozart operas to Da Ponte libretti. This performance of Tchaikovsky’s great valedictory symphony has colossal impact thanks to the wonderfully vivid and engaging sound. But there’s robust emotional power in Currentzis’ interpretation, too, and MusicAeterna play with terrific attention to detail and a coiled intensity—the music surges and seethes, building up in great waves of sound. Even if you have a favorite recording of the Pathétique, this one demands to be heard.
- Khatia Buniatishvili
- Gidon Kremer, Daniil Trifonov & Giedre Dirvanauskaite
- Berlin Philharmonic, Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Nikolai Lugansky & Sakari Oramo
- Vienna Philharmonic & Hans Knappertsbusch
- The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend & Hannes Minnaar
- Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Ernest Ansermet