Paavo Järvi seems to have an electric Romeo and Juliet-like chemistry with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where he has been music director since 2001. And the feelings appear to be mutual all round, as earlier this year the orchestra extended Järvi's contract through the 2010-2011 season. After that it becomes evergreen and renews automatically each season by mutual agreement. As with his previous recordings with the orchestra, which include works by Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Sibelius and Dvorak, Järvi and the Cincinnati band demonstrate fiery, masterful and heartfelt musicianship. The latest Telarc release, Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"/"Romeo and Juliet" Overture - Fantasy, features vibrant renditions of each work.

In the "Overture" the playing is so impassioned it seems the whole orchestra shares the love and pain of the star crossed lovers. The main theme sounds gorgeous and the simmering tension of the work ebbs and flows in mesmerizing waves. In a virtuosic, gleaming and nuanced performance of the "Pathétique" the orchestra ably captures the drama of the tumultuous climaxes and lyrical beauty of both the more introspective and lighthearted moments, with the strings warm and polished and the woodwinds and brass also in fine form. The playing in the "Allegro molto vivace" bristles with explosive excitement.

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