Roy Ellefsen wrote: >I don't have a recording of the Tschaikowsky Sym. 4. What's your advice? >Naxos has several. I am partial to Naxos because, of course, money is >indeed an object. Anyone know them? I am from Utah and am therefore >partial to Abravanel and the USO. Any advice there? Or is there some >other recording that you consider THE recording to have? Try the 4th conducted by Mravinsky on Russian Disc RD CD 10 903, a volume of The Mravinsky. I've never really gotten into Tchaikovsky so I don't have many recordings. For me, his music has never had the energy and grandeur of other Russian composers I enjoy. Listening to Mravinsky conduct the USSR Symphony Orchestra in a performance recorded in 1959, however, there's an excitement and a bite to the music that I haven't heard before. Not really a fan of individual conductors, there's something about Mravinsky's style that I find engrossing. Also, try his recordings of Shostakovich, real ear-openers for me. There are 9 volumes of The Mravinsky Collection on sale for $5.98 at www.salemusic.com, the web site of Daedalus Books. The usual disclaimers apply. Ron Chaplin Iselin, New Jersey, USA