Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

Gustavo Dudamel conducts symphonic pieces derived from Shakespeare as reimagined in music by Tchaikovsky. Unlike the fantasy overture, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest, which are program pieces, Hamlet is more mysterious and less literal in the way its thematic material is developed. All three are luminously beautiful. In every case, Dudamel elicits the most appropriate interpretations imaginable from his electrifying Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra....

Set in wintry Russia, this classic Christmas fantasy features young Marie experiencing the magic of toys and animals and the Snow Princess coming to life. "With E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story the Nutcracker and the Mouse King and memories of the Nutcracker ballet as her guide, this book is Jan Brett's visualization of Tchaikovsky's music. From the 'Overture in Miniature' during the Christmas Eve party, the 'March' that leads to the battle against the...