Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake occupied a special place in Yuri Ahronovitch’s life. The conductor was just five years old when he visited a performance of the ballet at the Kirov Theatre. He was so fascinated that he announced to his parents his decision to become a conductor himself. Even in the midst of the turmoil of war, he did indeed study at the conservatory and graduated with honours in 1954.

In the course of his career, he was chief conductor of the Gürzenich Orchestra (as the successor to none other than Günter Wand) and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, whilst also conducting numerous leading orchestras around the world.

On Swedish television, Ahronovitch once made the following statement that is so characteristic of him: “I was never the conductor of the orchestra, I was always a colleague, a friend and a partner.” This humanistic approach combined with a laid-back lack of affectation and a self-evident demand for perfection characterised his conducting style.

Recorded 8 March 1995 (Suite no.4), 18–21 June 1996 (Swan Lake)