Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Serenade for Strings

Eugene Ormandy’s Philadelphia Orchestra of the mid-20th century was known for its rich string sound, coating late-Romantic masterpieces in velvet. The string playing is beautiful here, right from the violins’ first entrance in the Tchaikovsky Fifth. The addition of the Serenade for Strings deepens the album’s focus on string work, making this a prime showcase for the “Philadelphia Sound.”