These performances have never been issued before on CD. Shostakovich’s Symphony No.10 was given on 21 August 1968, the very night that Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia in a concentrated effort to halt Dubcek’s political reforms. The atmosphere in the Albert Hall, as can heard from the shouts of protest, was electric and very tense but after the first few bars, the disruption was finally drowned out and Svetlanov, according to those present, then went on to give the performance of his life. Svetlanov’s widow, on hearing this CD, said that the performance brought tears to her eyes and the emotion of that evening came across vividly. Two short bonus titles have been added - Tchaikovsky’s ’Melodrama’ from The Snow Maiden and two excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Invisible City of Kitezh reflecting the historic three concerts Svetlanov and his orchestra gave in London at the August 1968 Proms. ICA’s Ambient Mastering recreates the atmosphere in the Royal Albert Hall perfectly.