Favourite Shostakovich symphonies...

[offbeat]

I'm amazed that the 8th is so well loved. Saying this as a Shostakovich fan, I found it incredibly boring both times I heard it... Obviously I'll need to try it again, but there's nothing he does here that he doesn't do better else-where.

For myself i would not say the 8th was well loved but admired for its atmosphere and extreme emotion - needs to be heard more than twice maybe - whats yr favourite 

[Guido]

Probably the 10th, though I love the 1st, 4th, 5th, 13th and 14th too.

[Dana]

I'm amazed that the 8th is so well loved. Saying this as a Shostakovich fan, I found it incredibly boring both times I heard it... Obviously I'll need to try it again, but there's nothing he does here that he doesn't do better else-where.

      My first recording of this symphony sold me - Mravinsky with the Leningrad Philharmonic. Aside from the impact of having such a huge orchestra perform the work, Mravinsky and the LPO give a totally committed performance, and the result is something that's emotionally on par with the 8th quartet, if it's not as structurally sound. It's long, it's drawn out, but it's also incredibly demanding, and is a completely draining experience, both for performer and audience.

[greg]

I'm amazed that the 8th is so well loved. Saying this as a Shostakovich fan, I found it incredibly boring both times I heard it... Obviously I'll need to try it again, but there's nothing he does here that he doesn't do better else-where.

That's EXACTLY what I thought of it the first few times of listening to it. Then, eventually, I started to like it, but I've never loved it quite like some of the others.

[Lethevich]

Thanks for the comments, folks. Looks like I need to check out 6, 8 and 11 right away.

The results also show not only the near-universal dislike of 2-3, but also that people think the 2nd is better, so I will check that out too - I had considered 2 and 3 a no-go zone until now. It is also intriguing that 12 has one less vote than 2 - what is so bad about it? It looks similar to the 11th in style.

[Dana]

The second must be heard live - don't be disheartened if you don't like a recording!

[Drasko]

Thanks for the comments, folks. Looks like I need to check out 6, 8 and 11 right away.

Just keep in mind that tempo variations between conductors can be very substantial, for instance both Kondrashin and Mravinsky clock 6th in about 26-27 minutes while Bernstein takes minute or two less for just first movement, or that Kondrashin's 11th is about 54 minutes while Rostropovich in London takes around 74.

[Lethevich]

Just keep in mind that tempo variations between conductors can be very substantial, for instance both Kondrashin and Mravinsky clock 6th in about 26-27 minutes while Bernstein takes minute or two less for just first movement

The only I have at the moment is Barshai - I'll definitely try to hear the Bernstein - it sounds fun.

[karlhenning]

The second must be heard live - don't be disheartened if you don't like a recording!

Have you heard it live, Dana!? (Were you playing in it?)

I like the Second and Third much better than I had expected I should.

[karlhenning]

Thanks for the comments, folks. Looks like I need to check out 6, 8 and 11 right away.

The results also show not only the near-universal dislike of 2-3, but also that people think the 2nd is better, so I will check that out too - I had considered 2 and 3 a no-go zone until now. It is also intriguing that 12 has one less vote than 2 - what is so bad about it? It looks similar to the 11th in style.

FWIW, I do like the Second and Third better than either the Eleventh or Twelfth.

[DavidW]

FWIW, I do like the Second and Third better than either the Eleventh or Twelfth.

I think that 11th and 12th are filler compared to the great, deep 13th and 14th symphonies.

[karlhenning]

(* pounds the table *)

[greg]

I think for the 11th, the recording is extremely important. The one I have on CD is great- I'm not 100% sure who the conductor is  , but I'm thinking is Rozhdestvensky. The main part is the march in the 2nd movement, which is extremely powerful. There is a moment when the trombones kick in that sounds like the loudest thing ever recorded (they tend to sound like they are about to blast open the speakers).  
Now, after watching a video I've seen on youtube with crazy dude Gergiev conducting (ugh   ), I realized it can be conducted in a way that's entirely unconvincing and weak. Hopefully most recordings don't sound like that.

[ChamberNut]

Totally disagree about the comments (disparaging) on the 11th! 

If there is such a thing as the Tier I Shostakovich symphonies, it certainly belongs there.  It's not my favorite symphony, but it is part of a group of "favorites" following the unbeatable 10th! 

[karlhenning]

Totally disagree about the comments (disparaging) on the 11th! 

Strictly speaking, officer, I've only stated that I prefer the Second and Third  0:)

[karlhenning]

(* pounds the table *)

(In support of the depth of the Thirteenth & Fourteenth.)

[Drasko]

The only I have at the moment is Barshai - I'll definitely try to hear the Bernstein - it sounds fun.

Barshai is good. I don't think Bernstein works, but might be fun to compare. It's his later Wiena recording on DG, with cute cover (also in the DG box):

[Dana]

Have you heard it live, Dana!? (Were you playing in it?)

I saw Gergiev and his orchestra do the 2nd on Shostakovich's centenary, and it still stands out as a singularly vivid experience that makes you wonder about what might have been even more than the 1st symphony does.

[ChamberNut]

Strictly speaking, officer, I've only stated that I prefer the Second and Third  0:)

That in itself, is a disparaging remark.    Just kidding, Karl. 

[not edward]

FWIW, I do like the Second and Third better than either the Eleventh or Twelfth.

I think this is probably an unconventional view, but I'd share it. The Second has some remarkable moments before the rather uninspiring final chorus, and the Third, while also uneven, is an intriguing transitional work leading to the Fourth.

While I do like the Twelfth occasionally (I think it works best if it's played to extremes so it becomes almost self-satire), I must admit to having yet to hear a performance of the Eleventh that doesn't make the piece sound just dull to me.