Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6

Another jaw-dropping experience from Pletnev and his crack Russian National Orchestra: a really complete Pathétique.

...an awe-inspiring experience. Should human beings be able to play like this?

It takes a pretty special "Pathétique" to make a London critic sit up these days, but special is the word here... There's poetry, subtlety, mood-painting that is rich but never over-ripe and - yes - dignity. The revelations don't stop there. No one should be surprised to hear that a Russian orchestra can be soul-stirring, but the tonal sophistication and superbly judged balance are something new.