Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 / Hamlet (fantasy overture), Op.67 (Bernstein Royal Edition No. 93)
Bernstein gives a warmly enthusiastic performance of Tchaikovsky's most depressing symphony--one more wholesome than the music at times, with brilliant brass and surging strings. It's a typically Romantic view of the piece, and nowhere near as daring as his digital remake for DG, which is as radical a rethinking of how this music ought to go as we are ever likely to hear. For some listeners, this more traditional approach still works best, and given the superb performance of the tone poem as a bonus, this disc is highly recommendable.--David Hurwitz