Shostakovich op 34 preludes

Started by Mandryka, July 06, 2021, 06:14:52 AM

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Mandryka

Well, I really like this music, which seems witty and lively,  and I have only one recording -- Elisso Virsaladze. Has anyone else done anything interesting with it on record?
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Jo498

I am barely familiar with the music but the young Mustonen recorded them (Decca, 1990s, with Alkan, I think) and he is usually interesting.
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Mandryka

#2
There seems to be a version for violin and piano too, not sure whether both were penned by DSCH,

Just taking random samples from recordings streaming is pretty disheartening, because either they play down the  acerbic wit and add kiss curls and curlicues, which kills it, or they just produce something utterly dry, monochrome and boring. Maybe Virsaladze  is as good as it gets.

Vitaly Katajev may be worth pursuing, maybe not.

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Karl Henning

Quote from: Jo498 on July 06, 2021, 08:11:59 AM
I am barely familiar with the music but the young Mustonen recorded them (Decca, 1990s, with Alkan, I think) and he is usually interesting.

I have that in the Decca Shostakovich Chamber Music box.  I should give it a listen at last. Come to poke around, I've also got Margarete Babinsky, so I could do a comparison.
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staxomega

Scherbakov and Mustonen are the two I'm most familiar with. Brian mentioned Andrey Gugnin in another thread, this is the most "modern, detached" version I've heard, maybe this is like Roger Woodward given the descriptions of his Op. 87 in the other thread.

Mandryka

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Mandryka

Quote from: hvbias on July 06, 2021, 11:26:38 AM
Scherbakov and Mustonen are the two I'm most familiar with. Brian mentioned Andrey Gugnin in another thread, this is the most "modern, detached" version I've heard, maybe this is like Roger Woodward given the descriptions of his Op. 87 in the other thread.

Where is the Gugnin?
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aukhawk

No.15 in D flat may be familiar to UK members of a certain generation, as the title music to the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles.

staxomega

Quote from: Mandryka on July 06, 2021, 01:34:03 PM
Where is the Gugnin?

It's on Hyperion so presumably not very easy to hear online, send me a PM if you'd like.

Mirror Image

Quote from: hvbias on July 06, 2021, 03:30:37 PM
It's on Hyperion so presumably not very easy to hear online, send me a PM if you'd like.

Coincidently, I bought that recording today. 8) Looking forward to hearing it.

Mandryka

Quote from: hvbias on July 06, 2021, 03:30:37 PM
It's on Hyperion so presumably not very easy to hear online, send me a PM if you'd like.

I've managed to hear it now. I'm starting to think that I had stumbled on the best by accident with Virssaladze.
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staxomega

Quote from: Mandryka on July 07, 2021, 07:43:01 AM
I've managed to hear it now. I'm starting to think that I had stumbled on the best by accident with Virssaladze.

How does one hear this? I see one on Youtube, but then two other pianists are credited in the extras section.

Madiel

Quote from: Mandryka on July 06, 2021, 09:16:00 AM
There seems to be a version for violin and piano too, not sure whether both were penned by DSCH,

The arrangement was not by Shostakovich. It's a combination of arrangements by Dmitri Tsyganov and Lera Auerbach.
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Mandryka

#13
Quote from: hvbias on July 14, 2021, 02:00:53 PM
How does one hear this? I see one on Youtube, but then two other pianists are credited in the extras section.

One buys the CD

https://live-classics.com/shop/liszt-mephisto-waltz-no-1-sonetto-104-di-petrarca-shostakovich-24-preludes-op-34-lisztgounod-waltz-from-faust-milan-1995-2001/

or one listens to the stream here

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y53BkOqKhI&list=OLAK5uy_l8UAgMsJKmcZB-5jrgF_LD0hfKAIAPaGk

(I think it is excellent, I hope you try it.)
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Mandryka

Then download a free vpn, I use windscribe.
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staxomega

Here is a link that doesn't require a VPN, performance is identical to the one you linked in the music.youtube one, initially I wasn't sure because Youtube credits two other pianists: https://youtu.be/30gJoDUYuns

She's interesting, at times makes the music sound more like Chopin than Shostakovich. I think Olli has all those qualities you mentioned in the OP except for maybe lively as his is a more cool approach.

Mandryka

I still haven't heard Mustonen -- I will do something about that!
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Mandryka

Mustonen makes them into a hotchpotch, a rag bag of  unconnected pieces of music, Elisso makes them flow and cohere. I wondered why Elisso is one track, now I know: it's part of her conception. Mustonen's touch is more brittle.
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Madiel

Quote from: Mandryka on July 16, 2021, 08:08:44 PM
Mustonen makes them into a hotchpotch, a rag bag of  unconnected pieces of music, Elisso makes them flow and cohere. I wondered why Elisso is one track, now I know: it's part of her conception. Mustonen's touch is more brittle.

Okay, now you're definitely making me want to listen to other performances. I only have Mustonen (not that I know even that recording very well at all yet).

I should probably try Weichert for starters...
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