This is a very special recording: one of only two examples of Koussevitzky conducting Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" Symphony No. 6, it was captured from a live broadcast of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1946 and shows the maestro and his orchestra at the peak of their powers.
And yet the recording itself suffered - post-wartime shortages meant no spares were available for recording machines, which meant old discarded cutting lathes had to be pressed back into service. The broadcast itself, transmitted from ABC's studios in New York, came down a low quality telephone wire from Boston to get there.
And yet in this new transfer and restoration you'll hear nothing of this. The tone is full and bright, the pitch stable and solid, and the full majesty of Koussevitzky's Boston Symphony Orchestra shines through. Coupled with a performance from the same year of Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini, this is a very special release that begs your attention from the opening notes.