Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14 (Live at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles 2013)

Gustavo Dudamel delivers a performance of striking class and imagination here. Drawing full-bodied and gloriously detailed playing from an energized LA Phil, Dudamel is always alive to the magical score’s fabulous array of colors and textures. He conveys the faux-serious drama with an almost operatic sense of theater, bringing everything to life with considerable flair. This is conducting of stature from a musician who has really matured during his years in LA. Well recorded in the Walt Disney Concert Hall’s lovely acoustics, this is a modern Nutcracker to cherish.