I think Tchaikovsky's 6th has been featured here before, but this one is a different conductor. It was a decent value and the reviews were very good. Then a particular relative caught wind that I was exploring classical music and hit me with all six symphonies. This, however, was my first taste of Tchaikovsky outside the annual Nutcracker spins.
Without sneaking a peek at that previous post, I think I recall saying there was a lot of darkness in this symphony, written not long before his death, which was arguably a suicide. I still stand by the sentiment, but there is a lot going on here, particularly in the first movement. The third movement is probably the most instantly recognizable and ends with such authority that many will often applaud at the end of it, which is a huge no-no in today's classical concerts. (To which others counter that it is a modern invention to hold all applause to the end of the symphony.) But seriously, it's a big finale except for the fact it's not a final movement. The final movement is actually familiar to me through its surprisingly faithful interpretation by the Nice back around 1970, when Keith Emerson was feeling in particularly classical mood. It appears on Five Bridges and Elegy, two albums I don't own, but it made it into the Immediate box set as a bonus track.
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