Well known for his three great ballet masterpieces, Tchaikovsky also inserted some of the most colourful orchestral balletic numbers into his operas. Sir Colin Davis and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, recorded a selection of these in 1977 and both, for its vibrancy of colour as well as for its stunning (analogue) sound, this has been a priceless Tchaikovsky recording, long sought out by collectors.