Shostakovich Symphonies, Cycles & Otherwise

Started by karlhenning, April 25, 2007, 12:02:09 PM

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Bunny

Quote from: karlhenning on May 27, 2008, 09:13:08 AM
Does anyone know what's up with russianDVD.com?  I put the Kondrashin box into my cart, and then I get a message that it's out of stock.

They are really nice at Russian Dvd, but it's a brickstore with a lot of street business and they are always understaffed.  The online listings always need updating.  Give them a call and see if they can still get the item.

ezodisy

Quote from: M forever on May 27, 2008, 02:05:52 PM
I only see the Aulos set on russiandvd, and you don't want that anyway.

are you able to confirm that the new Melodiya set, like the Aulos set, uses the stereo recording of the 4th symphony (BMG used the mono)?

Maciek

I don't know how I managed to miss the fact that this thread has moved along a bit since last October... :o ::)

Quote from: karlhenning on October 30, 2007, 08:15:23 AM
Well, that was pretty much the image of Shostakovich exported by Moscow, and here in the States, anyway, few were inclined to question that image before Testimony.

Maciek is right, to be sure, that much of Shostakovich's circumstances appear sufficiently like cooperation, and it is hardly irrational to take the view of Shostakovich as a Communist (even Shostakovich's friends were puzzled, at the least, by his taking official membership in the Party in 1960).  Maciek is right, too, to observe that, much though we might pity the torment he endured, Shostakovich was at least lucky in this, that he survived through it all, where so many cultural figures perished.  (Even Akhmatova, who also hung on by a thread, found it impossible to write any poetry for long years, so at least Shostakovich was able consistently to apply himself to his creative work.)  So to apply the label "martyr" to Shostakovich is overstatement, and dishonors many who did in fact perish.  The case is strong that Shostakovich was not (for most of his career) a "genuine Communist," but instead did what he needed to do to survive (and, to his credit, he did more than merely survive, but also at times used his position to try to help other artists);  but it is a nuanced argument, and travels only with difficulty outside of Russia.

Karl, thanks for a very reasonable reply. I didn't (AFAICR ;D) want my post to sound too dogmatic. As far nuancing goes, you fared much better. ;D

drogulus



     I'm DL'ing the entire Haitink cycle from Amazon for $11.98. How bad can they be? (they're 256 kbps, more than good enough given what I'm paying)
     
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Maciek

It was my first cycle and I think it's excellent. In some respects (no. 8 comes to mind straight away) it seems (to me) prefect.

(not that I've heard loads upon loads of versions of Shostakovich's symphonies though 0:))

karlhenning

Quote from: Maciek on November 24, 2008, 12:01:18 PM
Karl, thanks for a very reasonable reply. I didn't (AFAICR ;D) want my post to sound too dogmatic. As far nuancing goes, you fared much better. ;D

At your service, друг мой!

karlhenning

Quote from: Maciek on November 24, 2008, 03:45:33 PM

Quote from: ErnieI'm DL'ing the entire Haitink cycle from Amazon for $11.98. How bad can they be? (they're 256 kbps, more than good enough given what I'm paying)

It was my first cycle and I think it's excellent. In some respects (no. 8 comes to mind straight away) it seems (to me) prefect.

Nos. 13 and 14 (apart from Fischer-Dieskau's dodgy Russian pronunciation) are excellent, too, and nos. 6 & 7 are very, very good.  (I haven't heard the entire cycle).

karlhenning

#607
Quote from: Bunny on May 27, 2008, 02:37:15 PM
They are really nice at Russian Dvd, but it's a brickstore with a lot of street business and they are always understaffed.  The online listings always need updating.  Give them a call and see if they can still get the item.

I bided my time, and decided that I would just try afresh to order when ready.  Went very smoothly this time;  I placed the order on Saturday evening, reckoning (of course) on their not actually seeing it until Monday morning (and the website says that orders are normally sent in 1-2 business days);  an e-mail message came late yesterday afternoon advising that the order had shipped;  I tracked the package on ups.com this morning, and found that it was already out for delivery here in Boston . . . and poof!  the box was here before lunchtime.

Just starting to go through it.  I expect I'll listen to all the symphonies first, and then go back for the "fillers."

Edit :: typo

karlhenning

Quote from: ezodisy on May 28, 2008, 01:32:13 AM
are you able to confirm that the new Melodiya set, like the Aulos set, uses the stereo recording of the 4th symphony (BMG used the mono)?

Sleeve says stereo (recorded in 1966).

Herman

Quote from: M forever on May 27, 2008, 02:05:52 PM
I only see the Aulos set on russiandvd, and you don't want that anyway.

I'm aware mr M forever can't elucidate this himself, but anyone here who can explain what the problem would be with Aulos?

karlhenning

Quote from: Herman on January 07, 2009, 09:55:31 AM
I'm aware mr M forever can't elucidate this himself, but anyone here who can explain what the problem would be with Aulos?

I cannot speak to't . . . a reviewer at amazon.com has few words on that.

karlhenning

QuoteA Note from John Shand

I bought the 2006 Melodiya Kondrashin set. And now I've just come from comparing the opening of the 4th and 10th symphonies with their counterparts in the 1994 BMG-Melodiya set, and there's a definite improvement! The level is higher, the sound clear - the 1994 set sounds muffled in comparison - and the sound has far more weight and depth. In case I thought I was imagining it, I got my wife to listen, who hasn't followed any of this, and played her the disks blind - I have a very understanding wife! - and she agreed without a qualm that the sound on the 2006 set was noticeably better.

I've just played the opening of the 8th. That's much improved too in the Melodiya 2006 set over the BMG-Melodiya 1994 set. Where as before it was clear but painful, the sound now has more depth and body and isn't so unbearably shrill, without losing any of the excitement.

He whole improvement is really quite thrilling. The set has come up sounding fresh.

And, by the way, the first note on the double basses at the opening of the 10th is restored, which on the BMG-Melodiya set was chopped off, or at least started half way through - although no-one seems to have to commented on this before.

I found a page on Amazon where someone had compared the 2006 Melodiya set with the 1999 Aulos one, and he thought the 2006 Melodiya set a definite improvement over that too.

All one has to do is get used to the quaint packaging of the 2006 set. But there's no question about the improvement in sound. I wonder what they did? Whatever they did the Russians have come up trumps!

John Shand

That the 2006 set of the Shostakovich symphonies is remastered is discreetly documented on the back of each of the cardboard sleeves for the disks. (All except Symphony no.7 oddly enough - although it's clear it too has been remastered judging by the sound compared to the 1994 issue.) Who we have to thank is one of two Russian recording engineers in each case, either M.Pilpov or V. Obodzinskaya, who shared the job. They deserve a medal.

I should mention that there is no mention of Russian sound engineers M.Pilpov or V. Obodzinskaya, or indeed any other sound engineers, including the original ones (also listed on the 2006 set), on the 1994 set.

John Shand

[ Source ]

ezodisy

Quote from: Herman on January 07, 2009, 09:55:31 AM
I'm aware mr M forever can't elucidate this himself, but anyone here who can explain what the problem would be with Aulos?

nothing at all, transfers sound excellent, you just don't get the Razin piece in the set. I don't think the Aulos set is from 1999. It came out around the time Molman was on this board, 2003 or 2004 I think.

Herman

QuoteAnd, by the way, the first note on the double basses at the opening of the 10th is restored, which on the BMG-Melodiya set was chopped off, or at least started half way through - although no-one seems to have to commented on this before.

yeah, that was 2003 or 2004 (when GMG was just a tad more lively than now).

I thought I'd check the opening of the tenth, and AFAICT the Aulos is complete.

I've had a couple of Aulos discs that I thought were perhaps intended for Eastern ears, a little shrill in the trebles. I do not hear this on the DSCH discs (which, admittedly, I do not listen to all the time). Perhaps this was one of M's problems?

Drasko

#614
I'm sure you can ask him over at rmcr, to my best recollection he was objecting to amount of noise reduction applied, finding it too aggressive.

karlhenning

Quote from: Steve on May 05, 2007, 08:09:08 AM
Alright, I've just finished the Kondrashin 1st. While the sound is less than spectacular, certainly a great deal more  impatient and energetic than either the Jansons or the Barshai. Perhaps, a little frantic for my taste at times . . . .

Agreed.

vandermolen

Any views on Maxim Shostakovich's Supraphon cycle?
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

karlhenning

I like it a great deal, Jeffrey, and find it overall an excellent set.

vandermolen

Quote from: karlhenning on January 10, 2009, 01:20:09 PM
I like it a great deal, Jeffrey, and find it overall an excellent set.

Thank you Karl. I like his recording of Symphony No 4 very much and his LP of No 15 (EMI/Melodiya) was/is my favourite version - never released on CD as far as I know. I would like the Kondrashin box but the Supraphon was much cheaper, so I have settled with that.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

SonicMan46

Quote from: karlhenning on January 10, 2009, 01:20:09 PM
I like it a great deal, Jeffrey, and find it overall an excellent set.

Karl - yes, a timely post!  :D  Just finished my first complete set of Shosty Symphonies, i.e. the Barshai recordings released by Brilliant, which I felt is just a superb offering - but now, I'd like another for comparison - from your OP opening this thread, the complete sets seemed to be about the same; so, would be interested in 'updated' comments from all on these previously discussed sets, and on any 'newer' offerings (not sure if any others have appeared in the interim) - thanks -  Dave  :)