The Prague Philharmonic gives a virtuoso performance (with exceptionally beautiful woodwind playing) under Smetácek's baton, just as it does for Romeo and Juliet. Here the conductor reveals much of the music's poignant beauty while reveling in its drama and excitement. The decades-old recordings sound impressively clear and full-bodied, although the bass drum is barely audible in the symphony's finale (it's much more prominent in the 1963 Romeo and Juliet). This one's a real Tchaikovsky treat.