Favorite Moments in a Shostakovich Symphony

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

In the fifth first movements ending, the transition from hope to fear is absolutely stunning.

[karlhenning]

In the fifth first movements ending, the transition from hope to fear is absolutely stunning.

What musically do you mean there?

[Opus106]

Tocsin!

[karlhenning]

The quotation of the Ledi Makbet aria in the Eighth Quartet, of course. Deeply affecting.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Well I'm very weak in recognizing the instruments. 
5th, first movement: I mean about three minutes before the end of it you have that peaceful passage with a horn and flute - then mood goes down and about 2 Minutes before the end (after the horns)  that (oboe?clarinet?) solo clocks in, which is very frightening. I also very much like the use of Glockenspiel here which goes very well with the mood.

Needless to say, the percussion ending of No. 15 is one of my favorite Shostakovich moments.
But hey, as for now I know his symphonies No. 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 a bit, 11 and 15, and there are numerous moments.

BTW, I'm very lucky: The fifth was new for me, listened (completely) to it the last couple of days and cannot get enough of it. The 2nd movement is a bit Mahlerian I think. The Largo: oh yes. This is a Symphony which I like as a whole. There are a lot others by other artists which I listen to only parts of it.

[Brahmsian]

The opening of Shostakovich's 10th symphony, and all of the 1st movement really.  It just unfolds, layer and layer, become more and more intense as the movement progresses.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Thanks WW for bringing this back up 

Some of mine:

Fugue in the 4th (as mentioned by Edward) - just incredible!

8th: English horn solo in the 1st mvt. - talk about chills

10th: this is such a great symphony it's hard to single out individual moments. But after all these years, the massive climax at the center of the 1st mvt. (it keeps going...and going) still knocks me out. Especially the creepy build-up on bassoons and tympani.

13th: the atonal tuba solo that opens the 4th mvt. ("Fears")

15th: the percussion-drizzle ending, of course. But there's also a bit that gives me the chills just before the climax of the finale, where the violins, horns and xylophone (or is it glockenspiel?) just keep climbing and climbing into the stratosphere. It's vertiginous and always makes me a bit queasy.

[Philoctetes]

Rozzy conducting the 11th's second movement, 'riot' scene.

[Octo_Russ]

One of my favourite moments has to be the explosion in the 3rd movement scherzo of the 12th Symphony, it's the moment when the drums go berserk, and just after, here's a link to YouTube, with Dudamel conducting, the moment is at 3:11,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8bwzRF9h6w

[greg]

Rozzy conducting the 11th's second movement, 'riot' scene.

I think that might be the recording I have on CD (not sure). Does this one have trombones that are blaring so loud it sounds like the speakers are about to explode during the march? I really like that feature. 

[snyprrr]

The opening of Stokowski's 11.

The opening, and return, of the main theme to the first mvmt of 6.

The slow mvmt, and opening of Finale of 5.

When the oboe(?; clarinet?) comes in with the melody in the beginning of the first mvmt of 10.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

15th: the percussion-drizzle ending, of course. But there's also a bit that gives me the chills just before the climax of the finale, where the violins, horns and xylophone (or is it glockenspiel?) just keep climbing and climbing into the stratosphere. It's vertiginous and always makes me a bit queasy.

The percussion part always makes me JUMP I also love the melody which appears after the introduction of movement 4 and again in the ending. AND: The contrabass passage, when the oboe? solo appears. So lovely. SANDERLING! and Berliner SO.

When the oboe(?; clarinet?)

Haha, I'm not the only one who cannot distinguish both.
So in this thread we have, in your terminology: oboe(?; clarinet?) and xylophone(?; glockenspiel?)

[Philoctetes]

I think that might be the recording I have on CD (not sure). Does this one have trombones that are blaring so loud it sounds like the speakers are about to explode during the march? I really like that feature. 

Funny. I didn't notice that at all. >_>

[Brian]

When the oboe(?; clarinet?) comes in with the melody in the beginning of the first mvmt of 10.

snyprrr and Wurstwasser, that is definitely a clarinet. 

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

The clarinet is a bit lighter than the oboe? The oboe to the clarinet is what the viola is to the violin?

[Brian]

The clarinet is a bit lighter than the oboe? The oboe to the clarinet is what the viola is to the violin?

Vice versa, generally, actually. I hear the clarinet solo at the start of No 10 as being really dark, though. The clarinet does have a very broad range from lowest to highest notes, as you can hear on many a jazz recording!

[greg]

Funny. I didn't notice that at all. >_>

Maybe mine actually is a different recording... I think they are muted trombones doing glissandi, too. There is also other brass playing at the same time- I think muted trumpets.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Vice versa, generally, actually. I hear the clarinet solo at the start of No 10 as being really dark, though.

So in 15/4, the bass passage, is the bass accompanied by a clarinet then?
EDIT: 5:10 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLJGA8TSv1g&feature=related

[Opus106]

So in 15/4, the bass passage, is the bass accompanied by a clarinet then?
EDIT: 5:10 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLJGA8TSv1g&feature=related

Most definitely. I'm not sure if a normal oboe can even go that low.

[karlhenning]

Is any oboe really normal?