Best Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony Recording

Mavrinsky/Leningrad Philharmonic (DG 1960).  Hair raising performance.  

+1 for the Mravinsky! And Karajan/BerlinPO is another good recommendation.

Thanks for correcting my typo, 😊

An old favorite—Monteux/Boston
of the newer Bychkov/Czech PO

If you like Kiril Pertrenko's interpretation, you should also check out Teodor Currentzis and Misucaeterna's recent recording on the Sony label. 

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique' - Sony: 88985404352 - CD or download | Presto Classical

You haven't lived if you haven't heard the Currentzis, but I wouldn't want to have it as my sole or "canonical" representation of the symphony.

@twoleftears 
+1

Bob

The Mravinsky with Leningrad Philharmonic on DGG 1960 is unsurpassed as a performance, no question about it. But the recording quality is somewhat crude.
The Giulini with the Philharmonia Orchestra on UK columbia is from the same period, but with much better sound and also a magnificent performance. A more 'modern' recording (around 1980, still analog) I can recommend is Ashkenazy (on Decca, also the Philharmonia).

+1 for the Pierre Monteux/Boston Symphony on Living Stereo.
But will give the Mravinsky a listen!

I remember the Mravinsky 4,5 and 6 sounding much better on LP.
I recently streamed them and was surprised at how grainy they sounded.
But, I do think they are one of the better versions performance-wise.
B

Curentzis isn’t entertaining, like that flashy woman you meet a bar, but would be hard to take as a regular partner.  I enjoyed the Kiril Petrenko who really takes a bit of a conservative view, but again I’ll state a preference for Bychkov in terms of striking the right balance between excitement without feeling like it is going to become unhinged.  These 3 recordings seemed to arrive at the same time so I tend to compare them

Curentzis isn’t entertaining, like that flashy woman you meet a bar, but would be hard to take as a regular partner.  I enjoyed the Kiril Petrenko who really takes a bit of a conservative view, but again I’ll state a preference for Bychkov in terms of striking the right balance between excitement without feeling like it is going to become unhinged.  These 3 recordings seemed to arrive at the same time so I tend to compare them

Curentzis-- ditto what mahler123 said.  It is more of an audiophile showpiece than an insightful piece of art.  A pretty woman with no depth.  

Like others, Mravinsky's performance is the one I go back to most often. I was a bit surprised at the comments about poor recording quality, but I've never heard their digital transfers. I have the original 1960's individual lp releases of 4,5,& 6 and the 1974 box set of 3 lps. The individual original releases of each symphony are some of the best DG recordings from that era IMO. The boxed set's lp's are not quite as good, but still quite decent. They aren't audio show dogs though. 

@photon46, I wrote that the recording is 'somewhat crude', based on the original 'alle hersteller' vinyl pressing. That's not the same as 'poor', just not the most refined. I certainly didn't mean it as a disclaimer. These recordings have lots of dynamics, more than most DGG's (from any vintage). As said, the performances are unequalled.

My long time favorite is Georg Solti and  the Chicago.
As dramatic and insightful as any, with the Chicago Symphony at it’s best and in glorious sound.
Need I say more.
You owe it to yourself to give it a listen.