Best recording of Tchaikovsky's 5th

60's DGG pressing with Mravinsky. Rare combination of great sound AND performance!

There are many good recordings of this given above. But a unique circumstance occurred in 1960 when the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky (there are various spellings of his name) took London by storm. This resulted in a wonderful set of stereo recordings of Tchaikovsky's 4th, 5th, and 6th Symphonies available as follows:

Deutche Grammophon 419 745-2 (2 CDs, boxed set);
Deutche Grammophon 2721085 (3 vinyl LPs, boxed set);
Deutche Grammophon SLPM 138 658 (1 LP of the 5th only).

Probably a quick search of www.towerrecords.com will reveal a single CD version of the 5th only but I don't happen to have it if it exists.

I believe that all these were recorded in London in 1960 but am not actually positive about the LP versions. Maybe someone else knows.

Meech
Always risky proposition to say any version is absolute best, he he (but makes for lively discussion). I don't have the Bernstein/DG 5th but may have to add it to my collection, I see it is now available on new mid priced DG 2CD Tchaikovsky set now......think I will pick this up.

Also I should get the new Gergiev/Phillips, but what was Phillips thinking putting only sym 5 on this CD, 46 minutes total!

I have several complete 1-6 sets including Jansons, Karajan, Markevitch and several more 4,5,6 sets including the Mravinsky/DG set mentioned above. The Mravinsky 5th is special but I can't rate it best available, energy level is very high here so every collection should have this. The Mravinsky version of 4th final movement is tremendously explosive and energetic.......not to be missed and reason enough to get this 4,5,6 set.

Mariss Jansons with the Oslo Philharmonic on Chandos for a well rounded performance.

Meech
Just to clarify are you recommending the Bernstein/DG or Bernstein/Sony 5th? Both are with NYPO