Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Georg Solti - The Tchaikovsky Album (1997)

Solti worked the CSO into fantastic shape during his career there and it shows in these recordings -- in phrasing, in attack, in tempo, and in dynamics. The performances on this CD are my favorites of each of these pieces.
I may, perhaps, deduct a quarter star (or so) for the reckless tempo in the second movement of the Pathetique (where there are some noticeable moments that aren't fully together, perhaps due to that tempo). And yet even in that movement the wonderful attack the strings afford on the pizzicato moments, and the grace with which the woodwinds carry through, is worth the price of admission. This rendition of the third movement, the March Militaire, completely blows me away. There's an almost arrogant "in your face" approach to the movement, dramatically undercut by the Adagio in the finale, by which I think Tchaikovsky meant to remind us that every serious March Militaire leads to a far more serious lament. Solti and the CSO get that just right here, as the Adagio finale pulls hard at the heartstrings.
At any rate, this conductor and this orchestra coax the marrow out of these scores: the composer's romantic sensibilities are here in full, rich display. Even if this is a greatest hits album, and even if you're a classical music snob (like me), it's worth a listen.