Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6

I switched on the radio this morning speculatively, wondering what was happening and aye carumba there on BBC Radio 3 was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.6, my most favouritest piece of classical music ever. Well so what, you might say. Well, this performance was a recording of the Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky and this is the loudest and fastest I've ever heard it played. Fair rocketed along, in a most vigourous fashion. Further research revealed that it dates from 1960 and, sadly, yer man Mravinsky is now deceased. Apparently he was known for giving it some welly, unlike his western contemporaries and subsequent namby pambies.

You can listen to the Radio 3 programme in question on the BBC iPlayer. It features some other stuff - this programme is on every morning between 10 am and Noon. And you can buy the Evgeny Mravinsky recording at Amazon for a very reasonable £5.99 along with Symphonies 4 and 5. Bargain!