Shostakovich's 4th Symphony

[greg]

And it's pretty fascinating to analyze these attitudes on a technical level, too (especially harmonically)- such as Shosty's frequent octatonic scale use, use of the major scale but with a flatted 2nd in the bass (which sounds like some "suspicious" note over a calmed major tonality).

And of course Mahler's frequent additions of an extra note over a regular major or minor chord (or major with a 1st inversion, which sounds extra painfully nice), plus the more "transcendent" chord progressions and modulations, such as iv-I and augmented 4th modulations, mix of major and minor (writing a "sighing" minor third in a major context.

No one with any additional comments? Give me a break, this is one of the most fascinating things about music, analyzing feelings that you get from harmonies at a technical level. I know people have to have studied enough scores to say a few things......

[eyeresist]

I listened to my new Kondrashin recording on headphones the other night. Sound surprisingly good, apart from tape dropouts and need to boost the bass to fill out the sound.

As a noob I must say it's difficult to get to grips with - a wealth of ideas sprawled across an hour. The ending is wonderfully creepy - with the heartbeats and the glock, I wonder if he was quoting himself in the 15th?

I didn't notice references to Mahler's 4th, but I did notice the trumpet motif from the first movt of the 7th (the "Star Trek" fanfare), plus the reoccurring chord modulating from major to minor, from the 6th.

[greg]

I didn't notice references to Mahler's 4th,

It's extremely easy to miss. It's just 4 notes plus two that are similar, a few minutes into the 3rd movement, and the flute plays this.......

but I did notice the trumpet motif from the first movt of the 7th (the "Star Trek" fanfare), plus the reoccurring chord modulating from major to minor, from the 6th.

Very interesting! This is what i like to hear in discussion about this symphony....... didn't even recognize this.

[eyeresist]

Guess what I'll be listening to tonight (again)

The other Mahler references I noticed were also in the 3rd movt.

[karlhenning]

I listened to my new Kondrashin recording on headphones the other night. Sound surprisingly good, apart from tape dropouts and need to boost the bass to fill out the sound.

As a noob I must say it's difficult to get to grips with - a wealth of ideas sprawled across an hour. The ending is wonderfully creepy - with the heartbeats and the glock, I wonder if he was quoting himself in the 15th?

Certainly a 'yes' to the quotation;  he also quotes that 'percolating percussion' riff in the Second Cello Concerto.

And I found the symphony's vastness an assimilation challenge at first, too.

Johan, I will comment at more length later, but first, hearty thanks for the download!

[greg]

And I found the symphony's vastness an assimilation challenge at first, too.

As it is, I think its most obvious progeny--Schnittke's 1st symphony--didn't appear until the early '70s.

That's the fun of it! 

[mikkeljs]

I voted 9, since I cannot say if a piece is better than another masterpiece. Personally my favorite Schostakovich Sym is no. 14. But I also find myself returning to 4, 7 and 11 most often.

[vandermolen]

If you like Shostakovich Symphony No 4, you might also enjoy:

Popov Symphony 1

Weinberg (Vainberg) Symphony 5

[mikkeljs]

If you like Shostakovich Symphony No 4, you might also enjoy:

Popov Symphony 1

Weinberg (Vainberg) Symphony 5

Interrestingly!  Never heard of them before. Thanks!

[greg]

I voted 9, since I cannot say if a piece is better than another masterpiece. Personally my favorite Schostakovich Sym is no. 14. But I also find myself returning to 4, 7 and 11 most often.

14, 4, 10, and 11 for me, almost the same 

Popov Symphony 1

Listened to that one once, thought it was labeled "Shostakovich" but it was just some other work on the side. Thought the symphony was actually pretty good!

[Henk]

[load goes up]

http://rapidshare.com/files/116238347/Shostakovich-_Symphony_No.4_In_C_Minor_-_1._Allegretto__poco_moderato_-_Presto_-_Tempo_1.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/116238348/Shostakovich-_Symphony_No.4_In_C_Minor_-_2._Moderato__con_moto.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/116238349/Shostakovich-_Symphony_No.4_In_C_Minor_-_3._Largo_-_Allegro.mp3

Just downloaded it. Thanks. It's been a while since I listened to the 4th, it grabbed me at once. Listened to the version of Janssons.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Just downloaded it. Thanks. It's been a while since I listened to the 4th, it grabbed me at once. Listened to the version of Janssons.

It's an electrifying performance, Henk!

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Thread uplift  ! I'm giving the last 7 Minutes a 1000, still not exactly knowing about the rest; that makes a perfect 10!
Jez: The Glockenspiel player plays wrong (afaik!) at 23:55 in the last mvmt., and waaaaaahttt! The conclusion in this recording goes like: Don dong "COUGHHHHH!" ding ding... (after 24.00) This guy has stained the mankinds holyest moment!

[bhodges]

Which recording are you listening to?  I have been listening to this recent one below, with Haitink and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (on the CSO Resound label), which has been nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Orchestral Performance."  Both the playing and the recording are pretty spectacular. 

--Bruce

[greg]

I still have the first movement of the recording Jezetha posted on my myspace page- a friend even admitted to listening to the whole thing. I would have to be paid to take it down.

[vandermolen]

I have versions by Kondrashin, Kondrashin, Rozhdestvensky, Gergiev, Jarvi, Maxim Shostakovich, Previn, Ormandy, Jansons, Barshai, Herbig and at least two or three others (no money however  ). The two Kondrashin's are my favourites (Melodiya and Dresden versions) but Maxim Shostakovich's version is excellent as is Previn's. I am curious to hear the new Haitink.

I think that the last few minutes are amongst the greatest ever written.

My order of preference:
No 4
No 10
No 11
No 7
No 8
No 15
No 1
No 6
No 12
No 9
No 5
No 13
No 14
No 2 and 3

[bhodges]

My order of preference:
No 4
No 10
No 11
No 7
No 8
No 15
No 1
No 6
No 12
No 9
No 5
No 13
No 14
No 2 and 3

I'm happy you rank No. 11 so highly.  Just this fall I heard Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony do the piece, magnificently, which just reinforced my feeling that it is also one of the great ones.  I brought two friends who had never heard it before, and they were so impressed that the very next day they bought it on iTunes.

PS, downloading the Kondrashin now that Jezetha posted.  I'd intended to a long time ago and forgot.    

Thanks so much!  0:)

--Bruce

[drogulus]

     Since I still haven't listened to 12-15 from the Haitink cycle I can't say the 4th is Shostakovich's masterpiece.....ohhh yes I can!

     I'm glad to see No. 11 getting favorable mention. Anyway I have a lot more listening to do before I can say much about the 4th or how it fits with the others.

     I'm going to have to buy the CD of Haitink's LPO 4th. The one that came with the Amazon download set has the track changes screwed up. I don't think the mp3 maker used LAME*, which should handle these transitions flawlessly (it does for me). In this symphony you need gapless. Otherwise I'm very happy with what I've heard so far, and I recommend that everyone who doesn't have a full set of the symphonies go out and get this one. Completists ought to get it, too, of course. 

    _{*It's Frauenhofer, so that explains it.}

[vandermolen]

I'm happy you rank No. 11 so highly.  Just this fall I heard Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony do the piece, magnificently, which just reinforced my feeling that it is also one of the great ones.  I brought two friends who had never heard it before, and they were so impressed that the very next day they bought it on iTunes.

PS, downloading the Kondrashin now that Jezetha posted.  I'd intended to a long time ago and forgot.    

Thanks so much!  0:)

--Bruce

I think that No 11 is one of those that has to be seen live. I was lucky, many years ago, to hear John Pritchard give a great performance at the Festival Hall in London with the BBC SO.  I was sitting right behind the percussion in the choir seats. It was a very exciting experience. I have the performance on CD as it was briefly available on the defunct label BBC Radio Classics. Maybe it will reemerge one day.

[greg]

If you notice, the marching rhythm in the 11th is the same as in Mahler's 6th- just with more notes added- eight plus 2 sixteens in place of a quarter and straight sixteens in place of a rest......... although these are probably pretty standard march rhythms, anyways.