Tchaikovsky's late symphonies, for all their popularity, are quite intricate works to perform, and Maestro Vallet and the orchestra turned in an excellent reading. In particular, the climactic moments in the first and third movements, with their sweeping lines ricocheting between the strings and winds, were perfectly placed and controlled. The 5/4 "waltz" of the second movement has long been a favorite, but on Sunday I heard it perhaps for the first time as it should be presented—an extended dance scene that finds the musical accompaniment periodically interrupted by laughter, conversation, and drama, with Maestro Vallet's background in theatrical works serving the orchestra well. At the tragic close, the orchestra's efforts were rewarded with perhaps the best tribute of all: rapt, attentive silence from the audience.