Tchaikovsky Overture 1812

Good playing, excellent recording, and fine conducting characterize this entertaining collection of familiar and unfamiliar Tchaikovsky. The 1812 Overture is obviously here because no one would buy the disc otherwise, but the real treats are the two tone poems after Shakespeare. Many fans of the composer don't know that there's more to Tchaikovsky's musical interest in the Bard than Romeo and Juliet. Here's a chance to expand your horizons even as you blow out your speakers. --David Hurwitz