Just when you think you have heard a work like the Nutcracker so much that you know it well, along comes a recording that makes it sound like a completely new composition. I find myself playing Gergiev work here and having a difficult time to draw myself away from it. This recording flows from one piece to the next. There is continuity, cohesiveness, balance between instrumental sections and between the different pieces. The sound is crisp, extremely clear, and not harsh. Play it through a good system and you will hear every single detail Tchaikovsky wrote with extreme clarity. This recording brings you to the front section of the hall where the sound is solid and not far away an distant, yet you still have the sense of the strings being upfront and the winds in the back. I love it!