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[Dmitri Shostakovich]

#1

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Karl Henning - Today at 06:30:27 PM

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No.14, op.135. Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, with Gal James (soprano) and Alexander Vinogradov (baritone)

I haven't made much sense of Shostakovich's late symphonies yet, but I think this 14th is starting to click. The Petrenko/RLPO cycle, which I've had for about three years now and return to sporadically, is pretty damn good!

It chanced that the 14th was one of the first 5 Shostakovich symphonies which I got to know well, long ago when I was an undergrad. It grabbed me right away. 

#2

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Symphonic Addict - Today at 06:27:00 PM

String Quartets in D major and E minor. Whilst very good, the SQ in A minor on the CD 1 features the most memorable music.

#3

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Mapman - Today at 06:03:45 PM

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Skrowaczewski

Well-played, but not scary enough (especially in the last movement).

#4

Great Recordings and Reviews / Re: New Releases

Last post by Symphonic Addict - Today at 05:53:09 PM

I'm not liking Dacapo's cover arts. Too much simple, with little creativity.

#5

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Symphonic Addict - Today at 05:36:17 PM

Saint Joan Suite is the most interesting work here and one of the most appealing works of this series.

#6

Composer Discussion / Re: Pettersson's Pavilion

Last post by vers la flamme - Today at 04:55:02 PM

Dorati in No.7 & Comissiona in No.8 I agree are unrivalled, Jeffrey (if that's what you're suggesting), and I'd apply that encomium to Westerberg's 2nd also.

My second favorite 7th is the Netherlands Radio PO performance with Roman Kofman (hearable on YouTube) - utterly different from Dorati, with the tempos stretched out way beyond anyone else (even Segarstam), but which I think works wonderfully well here.

Among 7th's, the one I simply cannot endure is CPO's, which I find a complete mess (I realize an explanation would be helpful), and perhaps the WORST performance of a Pettersson Symphony I've heard.  The "lyrical island" section about 25" in is altogether mangled and unmoving (which takes some doing), and in general (comparing to Dorati's seamlessness and inevitability,for instance) the entire work comes off fragmented and incoherent (poorly played too).  Just a thoroughly bad outcome, I'm sorry to say.

Is it even possible anyone here favors it?       

I like it! But I haven't heard any of the others. The Doráti appears to be hard to find. Edit: And I seem to recall an old post in this thread where Sgt Rock called the Albrecht his desert island pick for the 7th.

#7

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by JBS - Today at 04:53:24 PM

What features recommend it above other, more famous sets? I ask because I have it on my radar.

Re Nott's Mahler:

I think it's good because of quality control. Each symphony is at the same high level.
There is no single one in which Nott's is the "best", but there are no misses. Most Mahler cycles have at least one dud and a couple of installments that are just okay. Nott avoids that.

Inbal is another cycle that manages to do this as well, btw.

#8

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Todd - Today at 04:52:27 PM

The third of six discs.  Muy bueno.

#9

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by JBS - Today at 04:40:33 PM

This is an interesting topic, which might be worth a dedicated thread. I mean, if I'm în good moods I certainly need no depressive and depressing music to spoil it. And if I'm în bad moods, I certainly need sunny and uplifting music to cheer me up. That leaves Pettersson's music în a limbo AFAIC. 

I have Haendel's recording of the Violin Concerto and one CD of his symphonies (the most recent one from BIS, whichever ones are on that; I'm too lazy to look it up).  They do little or nothing for me, good or bad. At this point I have just put him on the side.

#10

Composer Discussion / Re: Pettersson's Pavilion

Last post by J - Today at 04:35:51 PM

I see where you are coming from here Greg. I didn't know that there was a Westerberg recording - that's most interesting. I often prefer older LP recordings, as with Kamu in Pettersson's 6th Symphony and Comissiona's DGG LP of the 8th Symphony and Dorati in Symphony 7. The same applies to Westerberg's recordings of Atterberg's 2nd and 5th symphonies.

Dorati in No.7 & Comissiona in No.8 I agree are unrivalled, Jeffrey (if that's what you're suggesting), and I'd apply the same encomium to Westerberg's 2nd also.

My second favorite 7th is the Netherlands Radio PO performance with Roman Kofman (hearable on YouTube) - utterly different from Dorati, with the tempos stretched out way beyond anyone else (even Segarstam), but which I think works wonderfully well here.

Among 7th's, the one I simply cannot endure is CPO's, which I find a complete mess (I realize an explanation would be helpful), and perhaps the WORST performance of a Pettersson Symphony I've heard.  The "lyrical island" section about 25" in is altogether mangled and unmoving (which takes some doing), and in general (comparing to Dorati's seamlessness and inevitability,for instance) the entire work comes off fragmented and incoherent (poorly played too).  Just a thoroughly bad outcome, I'm sorry to say.

Is it even possible anyone here favors it?