Dmitri's Dacha

[mahler10th]

Could anyone recommend an album or box set from Shostakovitch to me please?
I'd hoped that this thread would give clarity, but I'm more confused than ever...!
If possible I would prefer to avoid piano concertos. 

This is a bargain box - my favourite Shosty interpreter - though there are one or two in GMG that would recommend the Haitink with the Concertgebouw.  But this is not only inexpensive, it is fabulous.   

[asin]B00005UW2B[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Well, I am one who thinks better of Haitink than of Barshai . . . but the Barshai is a good box, and a sound recommendation, nevertheless.

[Brahmsian]

This is a bargain box - my favourite Shosty interpreter - though there are one or two in GMG that would recommend the Haitink with the Concertgebouw.  But this is not only inexpensive, it is fabulous.   

[asin]B00005UW2B[/asin]

+1 John!  I couldn't agree more.  It is bloody fantastic, and a great price! 

Haitink/Concertgebouw's 8th is amazing, I will say that!!

[jlaurson]

Could anyone recommend an album or box set from Shostakovitch to me please?

I'd hoped that this thread would give clarity, but I'm more confused than ever...!

If possible I would prefer to avoid piano concertos. 

I love the Barshai symphony box, too... but think that might be a bit of overkill, for a start.

A couple at a time, I'd say. Among the most easily accessible I'd say are 5, 7, 9 (in its kinky little ways), 11. Dark horse favorites: 15 & 4. Advanced delights of darkness: 8 & 13.

Not a bad way to start would for example be this one:


D.Schostakovich, Sy. 5 & 10,
S.Skrowaczewski / Hallé Orchestra
Hallé Live

Or, if your attitude is "Hi-Fi--Shmi-Fi", this one:


D.Schostakovich, Sy. 9
(+ 'faked' Mravinsky 5th),
Z.Kosler/ Czech PO
Chant du Monde

My favorite way of finding into DSCH -- by a mile -- is his set of Preludes & Fugues for piano. Like DSCH & Bach having a conversation over 250 years. More here: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/01/dip-your-ears-no-22.html

Now we need to get some string quartets into your hands... and have just the ticket in this twofer!


DSCH, Quartets 1,4,6,8,9,11,
Jerusalem Quartet
Harmonia Mundi
More on that here: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2007/05/dip-your-ears-80.html

[Mirror Image]

Could anyone recommend an album or box set from Shostakovitch to me please?

I'd hoped that this thread would give clarity, but I'm more confused than ever...!

If possible I would prefer to avoid piano concertos. 

Get Haitink's Decca set of Shostakovich's symphonies. This is probably the most consistent set out there IMHO.

[huntsman]

Good info - thanks! 

[Brahmsian]

Jeffrey and Karl will know what I'm talking about.

Un annoncement très important:  Mes vaches sont arrives, enfin!

[Karl Henning]

The cows have come home!

[Brahmsian]

The cows have come home!

Indeed.  Finalement, mon ami.

[Octave]

I'd hoped that this thread would give clarity, but I'm more confused than ever...!

I can relate.  Don't forget that the Barshai is included in the Brilliant Shost "complete works" megabox, just in case there's any possibility that you might want that megalith at some point.  (I decided against it because I own the Barshai and some other/different recordings of non-symphonic works, and the megabrilliant edition's contents were mostly not necessarily things I was craving.)   I remember the Haitink set as having better sound, but I don't own it.

[kishnevi]

Jeffrey and Karl will know what I'm talking about.

Un annoncement très important:  Mes vaches sont arrives, enfin!

Tres excellente! 

I might mention, for the benefit of those who do not have the cows,  they're on sale as part of Prestoclassic's Melodiya offer for a very good price--I think about fifteen or more dollars cheaper than what I paid to Amazon France, and thought at the time I was getting a good deal.

[kishnevi]

I can relate.  Don't forget that the Barshai is included in the Brilliant Shost "complete works" megabox, just in case there's any possibility that you might want that megalith at some point.  (I decided against it because I own the Barshai and other recordings of non-symphonic works, and the megabrilliant edition's contents were mostly not necessarily things I was craving.)   I remember the Haitink set as having better sound, but I don't own it.

As I've pointed out before, it's also part of Brilliant's 100 CD Symphonies box (along with Fischer's Haydn, Goodman's Schubert, and a number of other nice symphonic cycles)--if you want to go with that megalith instead of the Shostakovich megalith.

[Brahmsian]

Have over the last 3 days gone over the entire Shostakovich - Borodin SQ cycle (including the two pieces for Octet and the Piano Quintet), and overall, my impressions are very, very favourable.

I'm so happy I got it, and it was a very excrutiating long wait for these to arrive, but it was more than worth it!

[asin]B000HXE5BK[/asin]

I cannot chose at this point, which set I prefer.  It will take multiple listens of each set again (Borodin, Eder and Fitzwilliam) to determine that, and then again, maybe there never will be a clear cut 'preference' for me, which suits me fine.

Let me just say, I'm very happy to have all 3 sets indeed, and they are all unique and special in their own ways, just like the works themselves are!   

[Octave]

I got that Borodin quartets set very recently as well, CN, and I'm so glad I did.  Even just the Piano Quintet with Sviatoslav Richter is itself worth the price of admission.  I was lucky to find a really good price via Amazon MP-USA, but lately for the most part, they've been charging a lot for it.  Anyone interested should probably take advantage of that Presto Melodiya sale.  </shill>

[Octave]

A few questions, and apologies, still, for not having gone through every page of the thread carefully yet....it's daunting!  It's my project for next week.  In the meantime, for those with idle hands and febrile minds....

1A. I am especially interested in key recordings of symphonies 4, 7, 8, 10, and 15.  Plenty of suggestions is fine, but really just a couple max per symphony would be ideal.  So far I am working with the Barshai cycle, the Janson cycle very soon, and the Kondrashin possibly, semi-soon.  I know Mravinsky's famous live London 8th.  I might also know that Sanderling semi-cycle by the end of summer.

1B. I am interested in that Bernstein/CSO #7 (DG), which I have seen praised by a few people including MI; PerfectWagnerite praise it intensely at one point, and this was met with some skepticism.  Curious about some other perspectives on the Leningrad (#7) and also idly curious about: if Bernstein doesn't do it for you, how does your preferred alternative or two succeed in contrast?

1C. Really interested in #15 after listening to it again.  I have a few different accounts of Sanderling's godhead account with Cleveland (Erato).  The only disc I see of this is a single, and is OOP except for $17 ArkivCD i.e. CDR i.e. nope.  Just curious if there's another edition I am missing; the ArkivCD's existence says, "Haha, nope."  There was praise for Maxim SCH's earlier/Russian account (premier?) of this, but I understood that this never made it to CD.  I intend to track it down 'by other means' i.e. war.

[I think the comments I'm referring to were actually in the "Shostakovich symphonies - cycles and otherwise" thread.  Maybe I should be asking this question there?  I will ask it here.]

[Octave]

Also interested in owning a disc with the composer's own performance of his Piano Trio #2 op. 67 w/Oistrakh and Sadlo.  Curious about the best option for sound, filler, price.  The main contender is this:

[asin]B000005FWF[/asin]
from Doremi's Oistrakh series, though I am not sure I'm excited about the filler.

also, barely, this one:
[asin]B0034RJD7C[/asin]
from Multisonic.  Almost gone and a bit expensive, but some interesting mainstream filler with performances I've heard good things about (w/o DSCH, iirc).

also one from Yedang Classics w/that trio recording plus w/DSCH playing other things of his; that's interesting.  I would definitely like to know how the sound and performances are on that one.

Plus an mp3-only download that used to be (?) a CD from Symposium, called FIRST RECORDINGS, with some Preludes, String Quartet #3 (Beethoven Quartet), etc; but I am not an mp3 fan.

Also there's a newer disc (release date spring 2012) with the same contents as the Yedang (Piano Concertos 1 & 2, Concertino, Trio #2, all w/DSCH playing, afaik) that claims to be "remastered"....but it's from a company called "Entertainment Group International" [International!] and is a burn-to-order CDR only, with an mp3 download option.
It's here: ASIN: B007WVL7R0

[trung224]

1A. I am especially interested in key recordings of symphonies 4, 7, 8, 10, and 15.  Plenty of suggestions is fine, but really just a couple max per symphony would be ideal.  So far I am working with the Barshai cycle, the Janson cycle very soon, and the Kondrashin possibly, semi-soon.  I know Mravinsky's famous live London 8th.  I might also know that Sanderling semi-cycle by the end of summer.

1B. I am interested in that Bernstein/CSO #7 (DG), which I have seen praised by a few people including MI; PerfectWagnerite praise it intensely at one point, and this was met with some skepticism.  Curious about some other perspectives on the Leningrad (#7) and also idly curious about: if Bernstein doesn't do it for you, how does your preferred alternative or two succeed in contrast?

As the whole, Kondrashin cycle is IMHO the most "authentic" cycle, intense, Soviet-like performances. For the budget price, Barshai cycle is also consistent and interesting. Many people love Haitink and Jansons, but I don't really get into their understated interpretation. For modern recordings, I give a nod to Petrenko on Naxos.
   #4: Apart from Kondrashin and Barshai, you should check Rozhdestcensky on Brilliant Classics and Gergiev on Decca
   #5: there are two school of interpretation. The first one is from the first generation of Western conductors, brilliant and positive ending, in the recordings from Bernstein, Stokowski and Silvestri. The second one is from Soviet conductors (not  Russian conductors now), they performed Shostakovich 5 with the permissive mood with very despair ending, such as Mravinsky (on Teldec for the best sound), Kondrashin, Sanderling (Berlin Classics) and Rostropovich (DG). Most of conductors in modern days fall somewhere in between.
   #7: The Seventh is blessed with so many good choices, but for me Bernstein on DG, Mravinsky (in mono sound), Gergiev, Bychkov and Jansons (on RCO live, not his early account on EMI) is great.
   #8: My favorite is Mravinsky (Both studio in good sound and live performance on BBC legends), Kondrashin, Svetlanov (BBC Legends), Sanderling (Berlin Classics), Previn (EMI), Petrenko (Naxos). Haitink's account is also very good if you want to hear a neutral performance
   #10: For Western approach, Karajan, Mitropoulos and Shipway reigned supreme, but i prefer more Russian sound from Mravinsky, Sanderling. There is a Stokowski's live performance on Chicago Symphony Orchestra Anniversary box, which was hailed by so many people but I don't have the chance to hear.
   

[jlaurson]

A few questions, and apologies, still, for not having gone through every page of the thread carefully yet....it's daunting!  It's my project for next week.  In the meantime, for those with idle hands and febrile minds....

1A. I am especially interested in key recordings of symphonies 4, 7, 8, 10, and 15.  Plenty of suggestions is fine, but really just a couple max per symphony would be ideal.  So far I am working with the Barshai cycle, the Janson cycle very soon, and the Kondrashin possibly, semi-soon.  I know Mravinsky's famous live London 8th.  I might also know that Sanderling semi-cycle by the end of summer.

1C. Really interested in #15 after listening to it again.  I have a few different accounts of Sanderling's godhead account with Cleveland (Erato).  The only disc I see of this is a single, and is OOP except for $17 ArkivCD i.e. CDR i.e. nope.  Just curious if there's another edition I am missing; the ArkivCD's existence says, "Haha, nope."  There was praise for Maxim SCH's earlier/Russian account (premier?) of this, but I understood that this never made it to CD.  I intend to track it down 'by other means' i.e. war.

Nº 4 : Jansons / BRSO
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/04/mariss-jansonss-dsch-4.html

Nº 15 : Kondrashin / Dresden Staatskapelle
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/01/dip-your-ears-no-88.html

Nº 8 : Jansons / Pittsburgh
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/07/shostakovich-8th-with-rostropovich-on.html
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/01/shostakovichs-eighth-symphony.html ("Wigglesworth vs. Gergiev")
I've not made my peace with this work yet, which is my loss. If I had, I would probably appreciate Rostropovich's performance more. So my recommendation shouldn't be taken at full value here.

For the 10th I have no recommendation at all, though I could certainly run down the lust of the usual and pseudo-unusual candidates, with Karajan, Sanderling, Mravinsky, and the everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-a-black-horse Shipway. Add Litton to that list, as far as I am concerned.

[Octave]

Thanks very much trung and JFL for the Haitink/LIED help!  I might be more inclined towards that symphonies box than I thought.  *sigh*  It does not end.

OT aside:
Do we have a dedicated thread for discussion of "orchestral songs" compositions and recordings?  If not, where would such a thread best be started?  Maybe it's not distinct enough as a genre to warrant its own thread, but I'd like to explore what available, I've noticed I keep returning to the 'greatest several hits' of the genre, so I think there might be something there that is not only the work of a certain few composers.  Of course, opera semi-qualifies, so maybe that's what I should focus on.

[jlaurson]

OT aside:
Do we have a dedicated thread for discussion of "orchestral songs" compositions and recordings?  ... I think there might be something there that is not only the work of a certain few composers.  Of course, opera semi-qualifies, so maybe that's what I should focus on.

Don't know about a dedicated thread... but make your first stop this, if you haven't already: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/04/dip-your-ears-no-56.html