Dmitri's Dacha

[Mirror Image]

The 8th, 10th, 7th and 9th in the Petrenko cycle are bloody fantastic, but I was truly blown away by this 4th!  Especially that final movement.  Hope you'll check it out, John.

I definitely will, Ray. Thanks for the report!

[Brahmsian]

I definitely will, Ray. Thanks for the report!

You're welcome, John!  Only the mighty 13th and 14th left to go! 

[Madiel]

I need to get me some Shostakovich symphonies. The only ones I have are 10 and 13, conducted by Previn.  I had a Naxos CD somewhere, don't know what's happened to that... possibly still in my bedroom at my parent's house???

Anyway, received wisdom of the Penguin Guide in days gone by seemed to be there wasn't any one cycle that really nailed it. But I like sets, so I'm a bit interested in this Petrenko talk. Is it shaping up to be a particularly strong overall cycle?

[jlaurson]

I need to get me some Shostakovich symphonies. The only ones I have are 10 and 13, conducted by Previn.  I had a Naxos CD somewhere, don't know what's happened to that... possibly still in my bedroom at my parent's house???

Anyway, received wisdom of the Penguin Guide in days gone by seemed to be there wasn't any one cycle that really nailed it. But I like sets, so I'm a bit interested in this Petrenko talk. Is it shaping up to be a particularly strong overall cycle?

Sure, every cycle has ups and downs... but at <$30,- you can't do wrong with Jansons, if you need one. Certainly cheaper than collecting the Petrenko cycle which I find strong in parts, convincing in others, but also overrated across the board.

Perhaps don't bother with a cycle at all and get recordings of one symphony at a time... sink your teeth into them... and then move on?

[Madiel]

Perhaps don't bother with a cycle at all and get recordings of one symphony at a time... sink your teeth into them... and then move on?

Well, this may be one of those rare cases where I take that approach. I don't particularly like generating lots of unintended double-ups, but with Shostakovich symphonies many of them tend to reside on their own individual discs so it's less of an issue.

[kishnevi]

Well, this may be one of those rare cases where I take that approach. I don't particularly like generating lots of unintended double-ups, but with Shostakovich symphonies many of them tend to reside on their own individual discs so it's less of an issue.

I'd especially suggest this, since some of my favorite recordings of DSCH lie outside of official cycles (or at least, don't come all boxed up together)
Gergiev 4th (and there are several other good recordings of that one in particular)
Rostropovich 8 and 11 on LSO Live (NOT the earlier recordings with the NSO!)
Karajan 10

Although I'm in the middle of listening to Kondrashin's cycle on Melodiya now (up through the Seventh, so far), which is shaping up to be a very good one,  so that observation is to be taken with due caution.
But the Jansons is relatively strong throughout, from the ones I've heard (I have about half of it as individual CDs),   so you'd probably be safe there. (I got the Kondrashin as a bargain, but it's normally rather pricey.)

[North Star]

The Jansons is very fine indeed, and there isn't a bad recording in there, even if some (5th) aren't particularly outstanding perhaps.

[Brahmsian]

Well, this may be one of those rare cases where I take that approach. I don't particularly like generating lots of unintended double-ups, but with Shostakovich symphonies many of them tend to reside on their own individual discs so it's less of an issue.

Barshai/WDR set is also good.  Reasonably priced set, but not sure if you can buy individual discs.

I also like Haitink/RCO for the 8th, and have heard that that whole cycle is quite good.

I also really enjoy Ormandy/Philadelphia, for the 4th and 10th.  I don't have it, but have checked out a copy from my local library on more than one occasion.  If memory serves me correctly, the Ormandy/Philadelphia 4th was the American premiere recording, but I could be mistaken.

[kyjo]

Just finished my first full listen to the Petrenko/RLPO take on Shostakovich's 4th.

I'm blown away............wow!!  Love it.  I know I 'can't trust a first listen', but this seriously may be my favourite recording of the Petrenko/RLPO Shosty cycle so far.   *sigh* 

Thanks for the report, Ray! Sounds like a winner!

[Brahmsian]

Listening to the 4th again!  Twice!

Petrenko/RLPO, followed by Barshai/WDR

[Fafner]

Listening to the 4th again!  Twice!

Petrenko/RLPO, followed by Barshai/WDR

[Karl Henning]

Last night, I showed my brother the Kozintsev Hamlet.

[kishnevi]

Currently listening to the Eleventh from the Kondrashin cycle.

This is shaping up to be the best cycle of the symphonies I've heard to date.

[Mirror Image]

Currently listening to the Eleventh from the Kondrashin cycle.

This is shaping up to be the best cycle of the symphonies I've heard to date.

Yes, Kondrashin's cycle is very intensive and dare I say definitive. Truly sizzling performances from a conductor long associated with the composer. I prefer his performances to any of Mravinsky's. I think Mravinsky is bit too stiff for Shostakovich.

[Brahmsian]

Дмитри Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 4 до минор, соч. 43 [ Symphony № 4 in c minor, Opus 43 ]
Staatskapelle Dresden
Кирилл Петрович [ Kirill Petrovich (Kondrashin) ]

Karl, how is the Kondrashin, comparably to the Petrenko/RLPO account?

Which is your favourite recording of the 4th, Karl?

[Karl Henning]

Ouch, you know I cannot answer such a question, Ray! 

Four that I like very well are (in no particular order, well, maybe the order in which I have listened to them . . . and rather off the top of my head):

Максим Дмитриевич / Prague Symphony
Haitink / CSO
Jansons / Bavarian Radio Symphony
Petrenko / RLPh

[Brahmsian]

Excellent, Karl!  Merci! 

[Fafner]

First time listening to Kondrashin's  Sixth.

Wow, that Largo is chilly!

[kishnevi]

First time listening to Kondrashin's  Sixth.

Wow, that Largo is chilly!

I'm now listening to Kondrashin's 15th (Moscow Phil), and can say that I think he does very well in every symphony.  My favorite 8th and 11th remain the Rostropovich LSO--possibly because they were the first recordings I ever heard of those symphonies, and among the first DSCH I heard--but Kondrashin comes very close even there.  My other two cycles are the Haitink and Barshai,  and I'm  thinking that Haitink is the least of the three (Barshai is marred for me by a very soggy 11th). 

This is the Melodiya set, as it was reissued in 2012 (apparently actually a second run of the set issued in 2006), and possibly remastered then (can't read the Russian fine print).  My only reservation comes from one of the add ons,  a recording of the Second Violin Concerto from 1967 featuring Oistrakh,  on the same CD as the 15th (so that's coming up in a bit).  I have the contents of this CD on an Alto CD, and remember the sonics of the concerto to be rather subpar; so I'll see if Melodiya has improved on that. (Given the recording dates as set down in the Alto CD liner notes,  this recording was probably the world premiere recording of the concerto, made with a couple of weeks of the premiere performance.)  The sonics of the symphonies need not apologize for anything, certainly.

[As I finish this post, I'm listening to the concerto.  The sound is far superior to the Alto CD.]

[asin]B000P733I4[/asin]


It's true the price is $100, and I got it as a bargain from Prestoclassical, but I still firmly say anyone looking for another cycle should get this.

Which leads to the next question:  what recordings outside this cycle did Kondrashin make of the symphonies?  I'm seeing on the Amazon listings at least two recordings with Staatskapelle Dresden.  Any others?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Which leads to the next question:  what recordings outside this cycle did Kondrashin make of the symphonies?  I'm seeing on the Amazon listings at least two recordings with Staatskapelle Dresden.  Any others?

There are two with the Concertgebouw, the sixth and the ninth. They're on two OOP Philips CDs. Just type "Shostakovich Kondrashin Philips" on Amazon. I have the sixth.