The symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, also known as the Pathétique Symphony, from 1893, was the final completed symphony by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893). The composer gave the work the name "The Passionate Symphony", employing a Russian word meaning "passionate" or "emotional", which was then (mis-)translated into French as pathétique, meaning "solemn" or "emotive" - let alone the occasional further mis-translation into English as the Pathetic symphony.... The symphony is in four movements, but unconventionally ends in an Adagio lamentoso to stress the somber mood that is present throughout this work. This was my first Tchaikovsky symphony and after all these years still my favourite by far. The average playing time is 44 minutes (AllMusic). I have two versions, of which I have a clear preference for the Leningrad Philharmonic under Yevgeny Mravinsky on a Deutsche Grammophon double CD.
