Shostakovich Symphonies, Cycles & Otherwise

[Mirror Image]

Roz's is one of my favorite cycles too although I haven't completed it yet. I've been collecting the individual CDs since the 90s. Have 4-10, 12, 14 and 15. Especially love his 4 and 15.

Sarge

His 4th is AMAZING. But I was equally impressed with everything I've heard from his cycle so far, which now includes 1-6, 9, and 11. I'm going to check out his Leningrad later on tonight. Okay, you're only missing 1-3 and 13. You don't have much more to go!

[Mirror Image]

But the complete set seems even rarer!
Some of the singles are quite expensive, but others are not browsing amazon.de I think one could cobble together the set with the twofers and some singles for around 100-120 Euros. Maybe I should sell some of mine if the price is right... (I have twofers with 1,5,6,9 and 7+8 and singles of 4,11,13)

Yes, the complete set is incredibly hard to find now, but after doing some digging via Amazon DE, Amazon US, Amazon UK, and eBay, I've come to the following conclusion that it's an expensive series no matter how you collect it given it's apparent scarcity. I was certainly fortunate enough to run across a copy of the complete set, so, even at hefty price tag, I snagged it.

By the way, those Melodiya twofers are NOT cheap and I was browsing through the single issues on Olympia and those aren't much better.

[bluto32]

This thread has been an interesting read and convinced me to purchase a budget cycle. I have listened to numbers 5 and 8 a few times and enjoy them enormously; 7 and 10 are growing on me. I don't (or hardly) know any of the others. I am considering one of these budget cycles:

• Petrenko (RLPO, Naxos)
• Barshai (WDR, Brilliant Classics)
• Jansons (Various, Warner/EMI)

Haitink was in the running, but I would prefer not to duplicate the few symphonies I already have by him separately (1&5 and 8, on Decca Virtuoso).

My main considerations are:

• Faithful to the score rather than individualistic interpretations
• Good sound quality (I understand they are all good, although perhaps Petrenko is best overall being so recent? And with the Jansons set being recorded over so many years with so many (8?) orchestras - is the sound uneven?)
• A sensible dynamic range (i.e. not having to change the volume during a particular symphony because the FFF annoys the neighbours but then ppp is inaudible...)

If you own two or more of these cycles, what would your advice be based on the above?
Bluto

[Baron Scarpia]

This thread has been an interesting read and convinced me to purchase a budget cycle. I have listened to numbers 5 and 8 a few times and enjoy them enormously; 7 and 10 are growing on me. I don't (or hardly) know any of the others. I am considering one of these budget cycles:

• Petrenko (RLPO, Naxos)
• Barshai (WDR, Brilliant Classics)
• Jansons (Various, Warner/EMI)

Haitink was in the running, but I would prefer not to duplicate the few symphonies I already have by him separately (1&5 and 8, on Decca Virtuoso).

My main considerations are:

• Faithful to the score rather than individualistic interpretations
• Good sound quality (I understand they are all good, although perhaps Petrenko is best overall being so recent? And with the Jansons set being recorded over so many years with so many (8?) orchestras - is the sound uneven?)
• A sensible dynamic range (i.e. not having to change the volume during a particular symphony because the FFF annoys the neighbours but then ppp is inaudible...)

If you own two or more of these cycles, what would your advice be based on the above?
Bluto

There is also Rostropovich, which I recently acquired but haven't listened to yet.

[Daverz]

I'd add the Kitajenko set to the list:

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7941916--shostakovich-symphonies-nos-1-15-complete
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Dimitri-Schostakowitsch-1906-1975-Symphonien-Nr-1-15/hnum/5849111

[asin] B0009GV1Z8[/asin]

[Dancing Divertimentian]

....(I understand they are all good, although perhaps Petrenko is best overall being so recent?....)

Actually, Barshai's is the best sonically (great performances, too). It's the hall that does it. The Philharmonie, Köln is a stunner acoustically, very "open", bringing out the burnished sound of the orchestra wonderfully. Obviously the technical team knew its stuff, too.

[André]

I've beeen to the Phiharmonie twice and it is indeed an excellent hall. There are acoustic differences from one area to the other, but the sound is never less than excellent whatever the seat.

[Karl Henning]

I'd add the Kitajenko set to the list:

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7941916--shostakovich-symphonies-nos-1-15-complete
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Dimitri-Schostakowitsch-1906-1975-Symphonien-Nr-1-15/hnum/5849111

[asin] B0009GV1Z8[/asin]

Aye, a beauty.

[bluto32]

Thanks for the replies. Decisions, decisions... I shall compare sound clips at the usual sources.
Bluto

[vandermolen]

This thread has been an interesting read and convinced me to purchase a budget cycle. I have listened to numbers 5 and 8 a few times and enjoy them enormously; 7 and 10 are growing on me. I don't (or hardly) know any of the others. I am considering one of these budget cycles:

• Petrenko (RLPO, Naxos)
• Barshai (WDR, Brilliant Classics)
• Jansons (Various, Warner/EMI)

Haitink was in the running, but I would prefer not to duplicate the few symphonies I already have by him separately (1&5 and 8, on Decca Virtuoso).

My main considerations are:

• Faithful to the score rather than individualistic interpretations
• Good sound quality (I understand they are all good, although perhaps Petrenko is best overall being so recent? And with the Jansons set being recorded over so many years with so many (8?) orchestras - is the sound uneven?)
• A sensible dynamic range (i.e. not having to change the volume during a particular symphony because the FFF annoys the neighbours but then ppp is inaudible...)

If you own two or more of these cycles, what would your advice be based on the above?
Bluto

I own the Barshai, Jansons and Haitink sets plus several of the Petrenko single releases. Haitink would be my top choice from that list.

[bluto32]

Thanks for the Haitink recommendation - another one to mull over (although I already have 3 of his cycle).

The Jansons clips I have found are:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Dimitri-Schostakowitsch-1906-1975-Symphonien-Nr-1-15/hnum/5908441
http://www.warnerclassics.com/release/250008,0094636530024/jansons-mariss-shostakovich-the-complete-symphonies

At both sites, the sound quality does not seem to correspond with what I've read in rave reviews. Are these just severely compressed lossy audio files, or is the quality really a good few notches down from Barshai, Petrenko, Haitink?

Presto/Amazon sadly don't have clips for the Jansons set.
Bluto

[Baron Scarpia]

I regard the audio quality for Jansons to be less satisfactory than Haitink. It was not a good era for EMI audio engineering, in my opinion.

[North Star]

Thanks for the Haitink recommendation - another one to mull over (although I already have 3 of his cycle).

The Jansons clips I have found are:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Dimitri-Schostakowitsch-1906-1975-Symphonien-Nr-1-15/hnum/5908441
http://www.warnerclassics.com/release/250008,0094636530024/jansons-mariss-shostakovich-the-complete-symphonies

At both sites, the sound quality does not seem to correspond with what I've read in rave reviews. Are these just severely compressed lossy audio files, or is the quality really a good few notches down from Barshai, Petrenko, Haitink?

Presto/Amazon sadly don't have clips for the Jansons set.
Bluto

Must be something wrong with the sample files. Maybe Youtube or Spotify could give you a better idea of the sound. There's definitely dynamic range aplenty.

https://www.youtube.com/v/ivj08BjXzaw

[Baron Scarpia]

Must be something wrong with the sample files. Maybe Youtube or Spotify could give you a better idea of the sound. There's definitely dynamic range aplenty.

There was no specific complaint that dynamic range was limited, but rather about lossy compression compromising quality (as I read it). I haven't listened to every symphony in the set, but based on my experience, while they have the expected dynamic range, I find them to be congested and lacking a convincing soundstage.

[Jo498]

The Haitink has great sound and in the 1980s and early 1990s it was the obvious "western" option. But it is not equally committed in all symphonies and many feel that the "rawer" sound/approach of Russian conductors and orchestras is a better fit.
I have the Jansons and as it is with different orchestras in different halls the sound is not uniformly excellent and maybe not as great as Haitink's but it is not at all bad. I'd say that Jansons' approach is midway between the "westernized", somewhat smoothed out Haitink and the Russians.
(Have not heard the Barshai. But Barshai obviously was a personal aquaintance of the composer (although the orchestra obviously is not Russian) and this set was originally produced by the West German Radio and only taken by Brilliant because the label that originally was supposed to distribute it, did not do so for some reason. It was highly acclaimed when it finally appeared, I think.)

[North Star]

There was no specific complaint that dynamic range was limited. I haven't listened to every symphony in the set, but while they have the expected dynamic range, I find them to be congested and lacking a convincing soundstage.

He asked if the files are seriously compressed, and dynamics are among the first things to suffer with compression - along with the things you find fault with in the recordings, of course. I can't say you're entirely wrong about the congestion and soundstage, but it has never bothered me.

[Baron Scarpia]

He asked if the files are seriously compressed, and dynamics are among the first things to suffer with compression - along with the things you find fault with in the recordings, of course. I can't say you're entirely wrong about the congestion and soundstage, but it has never bothered me.

Sound quality is very subjective. I have the Janson's set on CD, and stopped listening to it because I found the audio interfered with my enjoyment and I had better options. Purely subjective, of course. I guess the real issue is whether those samples are indicative of the CD quality. That I do not know. My main question now is "where did I put my Barshai set?"

[mc ukrneal]

I bought some of the individual Petrenko/Naxos releases, and found them disappointing. It's been a while since I listened, but I just didn't think he got overall conception quite as well done as others I have heard. Of the rest, I have a couple Haitink discs and they are excellent. I have heard great things about the Kitajenko, so definitely consider that (though I've not heard it myself).

[André]

I bought some of the individual Petrenko/Naxos releases, and found them disappointing. It's been a while since I listened, but I just didn't think he got overall conception quite as well done as others I have heard. Of the rest, I have a couple Haitink discs and they are excellent. I have heard great things about the Kitajenko, so definitely consider that (though I've not heard it myself).

+ 1 about the Petrenkos and Haitinks.

[Madiel]

Whereas I bought the Petrenko box partly on the strength of reviews that said how good he was at holding together some of the really big structures, and I agree with those reviews.

Tastes vary.