In this five-volume set, Deutsche Grammophon brings together previously released recordings of
Tchaikovsky's three great ballets: Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty.
Seiji Ozawa and the
Boston Symphony Orchestra are featured in Swan Lake and the Nutcracker in recordings made in 1978 and 1990, and
Mikhail Pletnev leads the
Russian National Orchestra in The Sleeping Beauty, recorded in 1997. The
Boston Symphony is in top-notch form and the players deliver a precise and polished reading of the two ballets.
Ozawa leads a fun, spirited performance of the Nutcracker, while
Pletnev and the
Russian National Orchestra make the most of The Sleeping Beauty's colorful and dramatic score. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is clean and lively.