Mengelberg’s recording of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’ Symphony was made in 1941, before the changes in personnel forced on the Concertgebouw by the German occupation of The Netherlands. One of the great virtuoso conductors of the first half of the twentieth century, Mengelberg confers upon both works his unique talent for interpretative flexibility without eccentricity, clarity of texture and beautifully proportioned expressive force. For quality of execution, these are performances to put most competition in the shade.