Following his acclaimed Mariinsky DVD of the final three symphonies, Valery Gergiev conducts outstanding performances of the earlier works with the LSO.
Tchaikovsky's early symphonies are full of rich expressive melodies – something for which he had a natural talent. They contain influences of Russian nationalism and folk tunes, particularly in the Second Symphony ('Little Russian') and the First, which hints at a Russian landscape. The choreographer George Balanchine exploited the dance-like nature of the Third Symphony by using it as the basis for the final part of his ballet masterpiece, Jewels.
