Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (complete) / The Sleeping Beauty (highlights);

Antal Dorati was probably the great dance conductor of our age, and he pioneered recording the complete Tchaikovsky ballets. He made an outstanding stereo Nutcracker for Mercury Living Presence, and that has been reissued on CD. Fine as that version is, this one is even better because the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra simply plays the music more elegantly than the London Symphony Orchestra on the earlier recording. In fact, this has been the version of choice for a couple of decades now, and it's amazing that it took Philips so long to get the thing onto CD. At two discs for the price of one, however, you'll agree that it was worth the wait. --David Hurwitz