Shostakovich Symphonies, Cycles & Otherwise

[Karl Henning]

........................................................

Just listened to the Tenth under Karel Ancerl (Czech Philharmonic, 1956 DGG-Supraphon). Remarkable, if decidedly severe, even forbidding.

Yes, a marvelous performance.

[RebLem]

I am going to plunge in right here, having read only pages 1 and 68 of this thread so far--there's just no way I can read the whole thing, sorry, because I really haven't read any of it before, I don't think.  I own 7 complete sets of the Shostakovich symphonies, one of which--the Oleg Caetani set (he's the son of Igor Markevitch, and chooses to use his mother's surname)--I have yet to listen to at all.  Another is the Ashkenazy set--I am currently in the process of auditioning these, and so far, I have listened to Syms 1-8 and 10.  The five I have listened to all the way through, are, in order of my personal preference, from best to worst, Kondrashin, Maxim Shostakovich, Barshai, Haitink, and bringing up the rear, Rostropovich. 

Rostropovich just doesn't appeal to me at all.  Haitink is excellent in the four symphonies that use the human voice, and in the song cycles that are fillers in the set; the other performances seem to me like routine run-throughs.  Barshai has three big advantages--some excellent performances, lowest price, and by far the best sound.  I know that Maksim Shostakovich's set has been panned by most critics, but I find them to be excellent performances.  I don't know what the critics are talking about.  Kondrashin is musically the best--exciting, visceral, and committed.  And its in pretty good sound, though not the best, even for its time, which I believe was in the early 1970's.  The big problem is that in the Symphony 13 "Babi Yar," he uses a corrupted Yevtushenko text approved by the Soviet authorities of the time.  The problem the ideologues had with it was that it referred to the victims of Babi Yar as Jews.  This offended those who adhered to official Soviet doctrine, which always tried to emphasize the class unity of all peoples regardless of religion, ethnicity, or race.  The important thing, they said, was that the victims were Soviet citizens, not that they were Jews. 

I haven't heard any of the Gergiev performances.  I am eager to do so, but I want to wait until all of them are recorded and they are available in a box--preferably a small one, without individual jewel cases for each CD, like the Barshai set has.  As for Jansons, I hadn't even thought of getting that one until I read some of the posts in this thread, which seem to say its right up there with the best, and some say it IS the best.  I suppose I will have to put it on my wants list.

I also own lots of individual recordings of some of the symphonies, including all the Bernsteins.  Almost invariably, the later recordings are better than the first, though they are all pretty good, and the 9th is an exception to the rule--I prefer his Sony recording of 9 to his DGG recording.  Ancerl  is always good in everything; I also have 4 CDs of Maxsim's partial cycle for Collins International, including #15.  In fact, I think Maxsim has recorded #15 three times--his was the first recording of the work, I believe, released about a year after the work's premiere.  To the best of my knowledge, it was issued only on LP and is still my #1 favorite recording of #15, which also happens to be my personal favorite of the Shostakovich symphonies.  One outlier performance which few people even know about it a 1975 recording of the 5th on the Weitblick label--Klaus Tennstedt conducting the Munich Phil, coupled with Janacek's 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th Lachnian Dances.  It is better than most recordings of the 5th, and in my opinion, at least the equal of any.

[Karl Henning]

. . . I know that Maksim Shostakovich's set has been panned by most critics, but I find them to be excellent performances.

Yes, thanks.

Gergiev at his best is very good, but his "interpretation" of the Fourth is (let us way) wilful.

[kishnevi]

Yes, thanks.

Gergiev at his best is very good, but his "interpretation" of the Fourth is (let us way) wilful.

Willful, then, in a way I like. 
Truth to tell, it is the only Gergiev DSCH I unreservedly like.  The others just don't seem to catch fire.

As for Rostropovich, I like his LSO Live recordings, and think what I've heard of his full cycle is much weaker.

I guess RebLem's comment is one reason to fetch in Maxim's cycle at one point.
And yes, Kondrashin is the best of what I've heard.  I generally like Barshai, but I think he did a pratfall in the Eleventh.

[snyprrr]

I will give a shout out to the Teldec Rostropovich 4 and 15,... and 14. Please perhaps try those three again. His 13th is the 'worst' I've got. I do like the monstrous 5th for DDG.

[snyprrr]

OZAWA 5th on Decca, anyone?

[snyprrr]

I am going to plunge in right here, having read only pages 1 and 68

GOOD. LUCK.




... and the lolz was had by all...

[kishnevi]

I will give a shout out to the Teldec Rostropovich 4 and 15,... and 14. Please perhaps try those three again. His 13th is the 'worst' I've got. I do like the monstrous 5th for DDG.

Must disagree.  In fact the Teldec Fourth is the worst Fourth I remember hearing.

[aukhawk]

I own 7 complete sets of the Shostakovich symphonies, one of which--the Oleg Caetani set (he's the son of Igor Markevitch, and chooses to use his mother's surname)--I have yet to listen to at all.

Many of the Caetani recordings are outstanding.  I particularly like his 1st and 8th - both illustrate his definite tendency to be quite speedy.

[snyprrr]

Must disagree.  In fact the Teldec Fourth is the worst Fourth I remember hearing.

huh- well,... interesting. I thought

a) timpani has a nice impact here

b) recording isn't as distant as others- slightly clearer than Jarvi?

c) tension seems to be maintained

d) piccolo- check

e)


I also wanted to add 1 & 9 to the 'listenable' list--- well, at least you must like his original 14th, 1973?

Many of the Caetani recordings are outstanding.  I particularly like his 1st and 8th - both illustrate his definite tendency to be quite speedy.

Caetani, at least, does sooomething totally different in every piece. At this point in the game, you really have to, even if you twist the music out of shape. We already have sooo many 'normal' Cycles of both Symphonies and SQs that anyone new venturing here needs to have some good ideas up their sleeve. The only thing is, most of these guys either go ALL fast, or ALL slow- they need to mix up the extremes,... but, at least he's blazing the way for someone even more adventurous.

[techniquest]

RebLem, an interesting post. I see you omit to mention either the Kitajenko (Capriccio) or Petrenko (Naxos) complete sets and I would humbly suggest that you put these on your wants list before the Jansons set. 

[Pat B]

I just listened to Rostropovich's 11 on LSO Live.

I don't really know this music well enough yet for a descriptive commentary, but I can say: WOW.

[kishnevi]

My feelings exactly.  And I think his LSO 8 is just as good.

[Sergeant Rock]

I just listened to Rostropovich's 11 on LSO Live.

WOW.

My feelings exactly.

Mine too.

Sarge

[jlaurson]

Sarge,

do you have the earliest and last recording date of the G.Rozhdestvensky cycle??

Otherwise I've established so much, so far:

R.Barshai / WDR SO   Brilliant, 11 CDs    1992 - 2000   1992   2000
            
B.Haitink / RCO, LPO   Decca , 11 CDs   1976 - 1985   1977   1984
            
M.Shostakovich / Prague SO   Supraphon 10 CDs    1995-2006??   1995   1999
            
M.Rostropovich / NSO, LSO, Academic SO Moscow   Warner , 12 CDs   1988-1995 (+ 1973)   1973   1995
            
Y.Mravinsky / Leningrad PO   (incomplete)         
            
K.Kondrashin / Moscow PO   Melodiya, 11 CDs  , Aulos 10 CDs .   1965 - 1975   1965   1975
            
V.Petrenko / R.Liverpool PO   Naxos      2008   2013
            
M.Jansons / Various   EMI - Warner    1988 - 2005   1988   2005
            
M.Wigglesworth / Netherlands RPO, BBS NO Wales   BIS      1997   2014
            
V.Ashekenazy / Royal Phil., St.Petersburg PO, NHK SO   Decca, 12 CDs    1987-1995 + 2000/2006   1987   2006
            
DG Mixed Cycle Collector's Edition   (Bernstein 1, 6, 7, 9, Chung 4, Järvi 2, 3, 11-15, Karajan 10 (19XX), Previn 8, Rostropovich 5)       1981   2000
            
L.Slovak / Czech RSO   Naxos       1986   1991
            
O. Caetani /  Giuseppe Verdi SO Milan   Arts, 10 SACD s      2000   2006
            
R.Kofman / Beethoven Orchester Bonn    M|DG 11 SACDs   rel. 2003 - 2008   2003   2006

E.Inbal / WSO 90, 94,    Denon, 11 CDs    1990 - 1993 but dates for Symphonies 9 & 12 missing.      
            
K.Sanderling / Berliner SO (incomplete) 1,5,6,8,10,15   Berlin Classics      1976   1983

N.Jaervi, 4 (89), 5 (88), 10 (88), 9 (87), 7 (87), 8 (89)   Chandos         
            
Andrey Boyreko   Haenssler         
            
Semyon Bychkov - 4, 7, 8, 10, 11            
            
Temirkanov - 1, 5-7, 9, 13, Petersburg Phil   RCA   ?   1988   2006
            
Solti            
            
Vakhtang Jordania / Russian FSO, DSO Berlin, Royal Phil.   Angelok         
            
DePriest / Helsinki 5 (92), 8 (91), 9 (<96), 10 (<92), 11 (88), 12 (<96)   Ondine / Delos (10)         

[jlaurson]

I have the dates of the Rozhdestvensky, weened of my individual discs... but I lack Nos. 8 & 12... Sarge, could you by chance check for me and see when they were recorded?
The song cycles that are included in the issue you have (I think) tend to come later (up to 1991).

I was able to look up the Inbal concerts in the Konzerthaus database -- but 9 & 12 were not performed/recorded there. Await word from someone at the VSO but if anyone here has the recordings, perhaps they could just check out where and when those two symphonies were recorded?

G.Rozhdestvensky / Leningrad PO, Moscow PO, USSR Ministry of Culture SO   Melodiya, 14 CDs    1983-1986 ohne Lieder   1983 (z.B.#11)   1986 (z.B.#10)
            
E.Inbal / WSO 90, 94,    Denon, 11 CDs    9 & 12 missing   1990   1993

[Jo498]

For the 8th Moscow 1983 (I do not have #12 from this set)

[Sergeant Rock]

I have the dates of the Rozhdestvensky, weened of my individual discs... but I lack Nos. 8 & 12... Sarge, could you by chance check for me and see when they were recorded?
The song cycles that are included in the issue you have (I think) tend to come later (up to 1991).

Sorry. My discs don't have recording dates, only a copyright date ("Made under license from Melodiya Australia 1987).



Sarge

[snyprrr]

Sarge,

do you have the earliest and last recording date of the G.Rozhdestvensky cycle??

Otherwise I've established so much, so far:

R.Barshai / WDR SO   Brilliant, 11 CDs    1992 - 2000   1992   2000
            
B.Haitink / RCO, LPO   Decca , 11 CDs   1976 - 1985   1977   1984
            
M.Shostakovich / Prague SO   Supraphon 10 CDs    1995-2006??   1995   1999
            
M.Rostropovich / NSO, LSO, Academic SO Moscow   Warner , 12 CDs   1988-1995 (+ 1973)   1973   1995
            
Y.Mravinsky / Leningrad PO   (incomplete)         
            
K.Kondrashin / Moscow PO   Melodiya, 11 CDs  , Aulos 10 CDs .   1965 - 1975   1965   1975
            
V.Petrenko / R.Liverpool PO   Naxos      2008   2013
            
M.Jansons / Various   EMI - Warner    1988 - 2005   1988   2005
            
M.Wigglesworth / Netherlands RPO, BBS NO Wales   BIS      1997   2014
            
V.Ashekenazy / Royal Phil., St.Petersburg PO, NHK SO   Decca, 12 CDs    1987-1995 + 2000/2006   1987   2006
            
DG Mixed Cycle Collector's Edition   (Bernstein 1, 6, 7, 9, Chung 4, Järvi 2, 3, 11-15, Karajan 10 (19XX), Previn 8, Rostropovich 5)       1981   2000
            
L.Slovak / Czech RSO   Naxos       1986   1991
            
O. Caetani /  Giuseppe Verdi SO Milan   Arts, 10 SACD s      2000   2006
            
R.Kofman / Beethoven Orchester Bonn    M|DG 11 SACDs   rel. 2003 - 2008   2003   2006

E.Inbal / WSO 90, 94,    Denon, 11 CDs    1990 - 1993 but dates for Symphonies 9 & 12 missing.      
            
K.Sanderling / Berliner SO (incomplete) 1,5,6,8,10,15   Berlin Classics      1976   1983

N.Jaervi, 4 (89), 5 (88), 10 (88), 9 (87), 7 (87), 8 (89)   Chandos         
            
Andrey Boyreko   Haenssler         
            
Semyon Bychkov - 4, 7, 8, 10, 11            
            
Temirkanov - 1, 5-7, 9, 13, Petersburg Phil   RCA   ?   1988   2006
            
Solti            
            
Vakhtang Jordania / Russian FSO, DSO Berlin, Royal Phil.   Angelok         
            
DePriest / Helsinki 5 (92), 8 (91), 9 (<96), 10 (<92), 11 (88), 12 (<96)   Ondine / Delos (10)

\
and they accuse me of being obsessive! haha


Solti 9 'Carnegie Hall project' June 13/21 1994

Solti 13, Feb. 1995

Solti 15, Mar ch 1997

[jlaurson]

For the 8th Moscow 1983 (I do not have #12 from this set)

Thanks! Turns out I have 12 (was thinking of 13, but have that, too). So #8 is the only one I am missing from the cycle... and you just provided the date. Perfect. Between 1983 and 1986 it is.