[USED:Cond.A] Sym, 5, : Gergiev / Vpo

The 1990s were good to Valery Gergiev. With the seemingly boundless support of Philips Classics, he cemented his position as the premier interpreter of Russian music on the international scene. With the Kirov Opera he turned out a string of masterful recordings of great Russian operas which capture the works' essences as few others have managed.
Here he makes his first recorded foray into the symphonies of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and the result is astounding. Captured at a concert of the Salzburg Festival in 1998, this Tchaikovsky Fifth is simply one of the finest on record--Gergiev brings out every ounce of fire and emotion, and the Vienna players respond with a burnished sound and committed performance which may make you think you've never really heard the "Tchaik 5" before. From the whisper of the opening to the blazing finale, Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonic will stun you as they did the Salzburg audience which erupts with praise after the final note.