Andris Nelsons conducts Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev featuring Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Tchaikovsky finally managed to arrange the premiere in far-away Boston—so that if it were a flop, he would not have to be present to hear it himself.

From the symphony’s first page with its tart octaves of flute and bassoon, to the coda of the finale, with that daring scoring for solo strings, piano, harp, and percussion, all of this is most brilliantly worked out for the orchestra.