Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Swan Lakewas the first of Tchaikovsky's three great ballets-- works which added a new level of depth and sophistication to what had been a  purely superficial art form. Today the music is so well-known and popular that  it's impossible to comprehend the difficulties the composer experienced at early  performances. Audiences found the music "too symphonic," and the dancers were  put off by the prominence given to the orchestra which, they felt, distracted  ballet fans from the action on stage. Of course, all of these supposed "defects"  are precisely what we admire about the music today, and this elegant but  exciting performance reveals the music in all of its glory.--David  Hurwitz