Topic: Dmitri's Dacha

[Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich]

New England Conservatory / Hugh Wolff - Symphony No. 11 in G minor, "The Year 1905"

My favourite appearance of it on Youtube. Those young people  Also, very good video editing. The battle scene and the ending are a bit fast for me, but well, I love Haitink with the Concertgebouw and compared to many recordings those scenes have a slower pace there.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ED5-QGuxJs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ED5-QGuxJs8</a>

[relm1]

New England Conservatory / Hugh Wolff - Symphony No. 11 in G minor, "The Year 1905"

My favourite appearance of it on Youtube. Those young people  Also, very good video editing. The battle scene and the ending are a bit fast for me, but well, I love Haitink with the Concertgebouw and compared to many recordings those scenes have a slower pace there.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ED5-QGuxJs8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ED5-QGuxJs8</a>

Young people do seem to nail this work.  My favorite live performance of No. 11 was Timothy Muffit conducting the University of Texas Symphony - a blazingly intense and terrifying experience.  I've since heard it maybe a dozen more times including the SFO/MTT but it was never as intense as that school performance.  Sadly, it wasn't recorded.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

This day in 1975, Shostakovich died.

[vandermolen]

This day in 1975, Shostakovich died.

And I can remember that sad day. RIP Dmitri.

[SymphonicAddict]

Rest in peace, Shosta.

As a homage, I'll listen to one of his apparently more optimistic works: the Piano Concerto No. 2.

[vandermolen]

Was in London last night to hear Andris Nelsons conduct Symphony No.4 with the Boston SO. It was a very polished and brilliantly played performance. My daughter, who had never heard the work, really liked it, especially the woodwind playing and the second movement. The doom-laden finale was very well realised.

In the first half was Bernstein's Serenade on Plato's Symposium which I'd never heard live. I especially liked the beautiful slow movement but, as a whole, prefer the 'Jeremiah Symphony', the 'Age of Anxiety' and 'Facsimile'.

Great concert.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Terrific!

[vandermolen]

Terrific!

It was indeed Karl and here is a review of the concert:

https://bachtrack.com/review-prom-69-andris-nelsons-baiba-skride-boston-symphony-september-2018

And here is another one which I very much agree with:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prom-69-review-boston-so-nelsons-at-the-royal-albert-hall-8s6xxkd02

[Maestro267]

Having recently acquired my final disc of the Petrenko/Liverpool symphony cycle, I'm now embarking on a playthrough of all 15 symphonies. I'll probably be able to complete it over the next three days, in seven sessions (1-3, then the rest in pairs).

[amw]

Does anyone have particular recommends for the Sonata No.2 in B minor, Op.61? Apart from Gilels on RCA which I already have and which is probably the reference recording. It's a piece I've been interested in for some time, especially for the magnificent closing theme and variations, one of Shostakovich's finest achievements.

[vandermolen]

Having recently acquired my final disc of the Petrenko/Liverpool symphony cycle, I'm now embarking on a playthrough of all 15 symphonies. I'll probably be able to complete it over the next three days, in seven sessions (1-3, then the rest in pairs).

I like his recordings on the whole. I also like the production with a photo of the conductor on the cardboard outer sleeve and the composer, usually at an appropriate age for the works featured on the disc, at the front of the booklet. I was very happy to hear Symphony 4 live at the Proms a week ago.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Does anyone have particular recommends for the Sonata No.2 in B minor, Op.61? Apart from Gilels on RCA which I already have and which is probably the reference recording. It's a piece I've been interested in for some time, especially for the magnificent closing theme and variations, one of Shostakovich's finest achievements.

Curiously, I am not sure I have ever heard it.  (Which is not much of an answer, I know.)

[North Star]

Does anyone have particular recommends for the Sonata No.2 in B minor, Op.61? Apart from Gilels on RCA which I already have and which is probably the reference recording. It's a piece I've been interested in for some time, especially for the magnificent closing theme and variations, one of Shostakovich's finest achievements.

Curiously, I am not sure I have ever heard it.  (Which is not much of an answer, I know.)

Well, you certainly ought to hear it, Karl. I only know the Ashkenazy recording from the Decca solo piano & chamber music box, but I'd imagine Berman, Donohoe, McLachlan, Nikolayeva, Petrushansky, and Scherbakov do a good job too..

[Ainsi la nuit]

Does anyone have particular recommends for the Sonata No.2 in B minor, Op.61?

A pianist called Melvin Chen has recorded the piece, and it's a stunning interpretation. He also plays the 1st sonata, the Aphorisms and the Doll Dances on the same CD so there's plenty to dig into.

The 2nd sonata is one of my favourite piano pieces by Shostakovich - or by anyone! To this day it remains curiously unknown, I wonder why...

[amw]

A pianist called Melvin Chen has recorded the piece, and it's a stunning interpretation. He also plays the 1st sonata, the Aphorisms and the Doll Dances on the same CD so there's plenty to dig into.

Thanks for the vote of confidence—he's already shortlisted along with Berman, Lubimov (which I already have but need to revisit), Mangova, McLachlan & Laul. I also have the Ashkenazy somewhere but remember finding it a bit too detached.

The 2nd sonata is one of my favourite piano pieces by Shostakovich - or by anyone! To this day it remains curiously unknown, I wonder why...

Probably because it's somewhat.... claustrophobic? Consistently dark & foreboding, with at times extremely stripped-down piano writing (often just one or two parts), a slow movement played at extremely soft dynamics throughout, and an obsessive concentration on diminished tetrachords looking forward to Shostakovich's later use of his nominal DSCH motive. It also sounds much easier to play than it actually is, something pianists dislike dealing with.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Well, you certainly ought to hear it, Karl. I only know the Ashkenazy recording from the Decca solo piano & chamber music box, but I'd imagine Berman, Donohoe, McLachlan, Nikolayeva, Petrushansky, and Scherbakov do a good job too..

Noted, dear fellow.

[Madiel]

A pianist called Melvin Chen has recorded the piece, and it's a stunning interpretation. He also plays the 1st sonata, the Aphorisms and the Doll Dances on the same CD so there's plenty to dig into.

*takes notes*

[Klaze]

I know it's not very helpful to recommend poorly available recordings but still I would just like to mention the live recording of the 2nd Sonata by Yuri Egorov, coupled with a very fine Prokofiev 8.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I know it's not very helpful to recommend poorly available recordings but still I would just like to mention the live recording of the 2nd Sonata by Yuri Egorov, coupled with a very fine Prokofiev 8.

The Egorov is great. It's a live recording caught on the wing, with the occasional cough, and will never be mistaken for a commercial recording, but nothing is objectionable in the least sonics-wise. In compensation we get the opportunity to...well, to hear Egorov!

[TheGSMoeller]

Shocked that this thread skipped over Dmitri's birthday. Shocked I tell you!

Well here's Lenny discussing the 9th Symphony...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/FVfz5YymsXI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/FVfz5YymsXI</a>