My personal favorite of the Russian composers is also one of the most outstanding composers of all time: Peter Tchaikovsky. Included on this disc is his popular piece, Serenade for Strings (which is my favorite Tchaikovsky piece) and the Mozartiana Suite. This fairly obscure Tchaikovsky work is based on melodies from his hero, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but the orchestration and harmony is distinctly Tchaikovsky; it’s the best of both worlds. The last movement, in theme and variations form, has an extended virtuosic violin solo that reminds me of his earlier violin concerto. As a bonus, the disc also includes two movements from his ballet The Sleeping Beauty (Stravinsky’s arrangement, thought lost, but rediscovered) – the Entr’acte violin solo beautifully performed