In the course of his musical career, Tchaikovsky attained a thorough mastery of orchestration as he strove to intensify the expressiveness of his musical language. This volume, combining authoritative full-score editions of his first three symphonies — popularly known as "Winter Daydreams," the "Little Russian," and the "Polish" — affords composers, musicians, and music students a unique opportunity to study his development.
All three symphonies — two of which incorporate Russian folk tunes — were successful on their first performances. Symphony No. 2 remains especially popular, but all are increasingly heard in concert and on recordings.