Few would deny that Tchaikovsky's last three Symphonies, staples of the orchestral literature, are grand masterpieces. But his first three are nothing to sneeze at. The third is particularly lively in this group, and shows Tchaikovsky in a somewhat experimental vein. The symphony has five movements (unique in his output), and the finale is a wild Polish romp (hence the symphony's nickname). In this month's CCM, an excerpt from the finale, we hear his grounding in traditional counterpoint, unmistakably Tchaikovskian though it is.