Shostakovich Symphonies, Cycles & Otherwise

[Brian]

Somebody alert Karl...

(Petrenko and the RLPO have also recorded Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead, Paganini Rhapsody and Rachmaninov Third Concerto, though he won't say who the pianist was...)

[karlhenning]

Thanks for the alert, Brian!

Program last night was:

Stravinsky, Scherzo fantastique, Opus 3
Rakhmaninov, Isle of the Dead, Opus 29
Shostakovich, Symphony № 10 in E minor, Opus 93

Terrific! More anon . . . .

[bhodges]

Thanks for the alert, Brian!

Program last night was:

Stravinsky, Scherzo fantastique, Opus 3
Rakhmaninov, Isle of the Dead, Opus 29
Shostakovich, Symphony № 10 in E minor, Opus 93

Terrific! More anon . . . .

Great program!

--Bruce

[Holden]

I've been thinking about a DSCH cycle for a while now. Is this the one to get or are there other options?

[jlaurson]

I've been thinking about a DSCH cycle for a while now. Is this the one to get or are there other options?

It's certainly one of them, certainly one of the top choices... all around satisfying. recommended.

[George]

I've been thinking about a DSCH cycle for a while now. Is this the one to get or are there other options?

I like the Kondrashin on Melodiya, the one with the eyeglasses on the cover.

[karlhenning]

I'm still waiting for the Petrenko/Liverpool recording of the Tenth!  But meanwhile I have been listening to their account of the Fifth, Eighth & Ninth.

I find them all good — very good, even — quite sufficient to justify enthusiasm for the cycle-in-progress at Naxos.  I haven't taken any of them as so outstanding as to displace current favorites — but that were hardly necessary in order to share fully in the enthusiasm for the project.  Nor in order to envy the audiences in Liverpool!

[Brian]

I'm going to see Petrenko conduct the Eleventh live next week with the London Philharmonic.  If it's anything like his CD Eleventh, it will be a hair-raising experience!

[Luke]

I like the Kondrashin on Melodiya, the one with the eyeglasses on the cover.

Thanks - that reminded me I wanted a copy, so I nipped to Amazon where it was £57... or £1.24 'new and used'      I'll let you guess what I did.....

[karlhenning]

Thanks - that reminded me I wanted a copy, so I nipped to Amazon where it was £57... or £1.24 'new and used'      I'll let you guess what I did.....

Really? £1.24? Sweet!

Separately . . . YHM (I tried PM but yer box is full)

[Mirror Image]

I'm going to see Petrenko conduct the Eleventh live next week with the London Philharmonic.  If it's anything like his CD Eleventh, it will be a hair-raising experience!

I'm so jealous. How was the concert, Brian?

[Mirror Image]

I do enjoy Haitink and Jansons as well, but my Jansons has a defective disc (the one with Leningrad), which I found out later most, if not, all of the sets that were issued have this problem. Barshai is really good and Ashkenazy has some great moments in his cycle. I have not heard Kondrashin's set (don't own it --- too expensive), Kitajenko's, Maxim Shostakovich's. I like Rostropovich's cycle on Warner Classics (originally on Telarc). There are many great single recordings of the symphonies as well, which I won't launch into. Sanderling's partial cycle is outstanding.


There's definitely many great recordings of Shostakovich's music available. I just bought the Pentatone series with the Russian National Orchestra with various conductors. I look forward to hearing these.

[Mirror Image]

I do enjoy Haitink and Jansons as well, but my Jansons has a defective disc (the one with Leningrad), which I found out later most, if not, all of the sets that were issued have this problem. Barshai is really good and Ashkenazy has some great moments in his cycle. I have not heard Kondrashin's set (don't own it --- too expensive), Kitajenko's, Maxim Shostakovich's. I like Rostropovich's cycle on Warner Classics (originally on Telarc). There are many great single recordings of the symphonies as well, which I won't launch into. Sanderling's partial cycle is outstanding.


There's definitely many great recordings of Shostakovich's music available. I just bought the Pentatone series with the Russian National Orchestra with various conductors. I look forward to hearing these.

My, oh my, how outdated this post is now! I have nine Shostakovich cycles now and many partial ones. I haven't heard the Kondrashin in full yet, but my goodness what smoking hot performances! As mentioned these are rawer performances, but I think they capture the Shostakovich spirit quite well. One of the disappointing performances of the Kondrashin set is the 5th. The Largo is taken WAY TOO FAST! All of the emotion is just sucked out of it when it's taken with this kind of tempi. I prefer some weight and heaviness in this movement which Bernstein 1979, M. Shostakovich, Skrowaczewski, and Caetani deliver in spades.

[Scion7]

I have the 1st, 5th and 10th on vinyl, these on CD, and the rest as various downloads from eMusic, etc.:



There aren't any weak Shostakovich symphonies, but some stand out to me - the 5th, the 7th, the 8th and the 10th - as the best. 

[eyeresist]

One of the disappointing performances of the Kondrashin set is the 5th. The Largo is taken WAY TOO FAST! All of the emotion is just sucked out of it when it's taken with this kind of tempi.

I agree that this performance is a bit of a let-down. Same with Mravinsky in his Venezia box. If you are now interested in Russian performances with bad sound let me recommend Svetlanov:

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[Mirror Image]

I agree that this performance is a bit of a let-down. Same with Mravinsky in his Venezia box. If you are now interested in Russian performances with bad sound let me recommend Svetlanov:

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I already own, and heard, the Svetlanov. It's a pretty good performance but pales in comparison to Bernstein's 1979 performance with the NY Philharmonic. This is my new benchmark recording for the 5th.

[Rhymenoceros]

What are some of the top recordings of Shostakovich's 4th, 5th, 8th, 10th and 11th symphonies?  What do people think of the following:

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[CaughtintheGaze]

The best 11th was done by Rozhdestvensky.

[CaughtintheGaze]

Here's a taste:
http://www.youtube.com/v/LVKBXD5TKlc

[david johnson]

4 - ormandy/philly
5 - mitropoulos/ny
7 - bernstein/cso
10 - that hvk listed is enjoyable for me