Mikhail Pletnev - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64 - Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 (2011) [Hi-Res]

"... delicious and detailed ... there is so much to admire here ... details are invariably surprising ... it takes an orchestra of extraordinary dexterity to pull off these subtly shifting nuances and the Russian National Orchestra is extraordinarily responsive. Their playing is chamber-like in inflection, just writ larger. Is there a more graceful or deftly articulate account of the third movement Valse on disc than this?"
- Gramophone

"Pletnev and his band take a no-holds-barred approach ... the performance has nothing of the routine about it ... overall there's a feeling of freshness that's hard to instill in a warhorse such as this ... I would place this Francesca among the best performances I've heard. PentaTone's studio recording is close, detailed and highly impactive yet atmospheric at the same time, very much a match for Pletnev's bigger-than-life conception of these works."
- Audiophile Audition

This 2011 release, part of the complete Tchaikovsky symphony cycle from the Russian National Orchestra and founder Mikhail Pletnev, has been described as "delicious and detailed" by Gramophone and was named Disc of the Month by the BBC Music Magazine, among other glowing accolades. In addition to the Fifth Symphony, the programme also includes a reference-calibre version of Francesca da Rimini.