Shostakovich Symphonies, Cycles & Otherwise

[Brahmsian]

And- can't they flippin' get a SUPER BASS to sing 13/14???

A sub-woofer, perhaps?  Or James Earl Jones?  Sam Elliott? 

[snyprrr]

A sub-woofer, perhaps?  Or James Earl Jones?  Sam Elliott? 

exxxactly!!

[snyprrr]

No.15

Wigglesworth/NRPO                   9:05  15:45  4:36  17:21***
Sanderling/Cleveland                 8:43  16:20  5:07  20:21******
Kofman/MDG                            8:30   17:10  3:35  15:32
Sanderling/Berlin                      8:29  15:21  5:06  19:41******
Caetani/SinfMilano                    8:28  14:28  4:15  18:11***
Ormandy/Phil.                          8:28   15:21  4:11  15:40**
Jansons/LPO                            8:20  17:08  3:59  16:40*****(*)
Slovak/Naxos                           8:20   15:42 4:00   16:01***
Barshai/WDR SO                      8:19  11:43  3:53  13:58****
Lopez-Cobos/CSO                    8:18   15:45  4:19  15:57***
Gergiev/Miniinsky                    8:18   14:59  4:04  16:36****
Haitink/SACDLive                    8:17   16:46  4:21  17:49****
Pletnev/RNO                           8:16   16:40   4:19  17:29**(*)
Rostropovich/LSO                    8:13  16:17   4:07   15:56***
Petrenko/Liverpool                   8:09   17:21  3:52  19:08****
Haitink/Concertgebouw             8:05  16:25  4:12  16:57***
Inbal/WSO                             8:05   15:08   4:25  15:39**(*)
Solti/CSO                               8:00   13:55  3:50   14:24***(*)
Ashkenazy/RPO                        8:00  13:33  4:11  14:18*****
Kitajenko/Gürzenich                 7:58  16:01  4:34  16:59
M.DSCH/Supraphon                 7:56  14:33  4:20  16:27******
Jarvi/Goteborg                         7:54  15:19  4:38  15:04***
Boreycko/Hanssler                    7:52  15:02  4:09  17:09
Polyansky/RSSO                      7:50   16:45  4:07  17:11**
M.DSCH/Premiere                    7:50   15:02  4:43  14:30*****(*)
Dutoit/Montreal                       7:47   15:54   4:19  15:25
Rozhdestvensky/USSR MOC      7:46  16:23  4:33  14:20 *****(*)
Mravinsky/LeningrSO                 7:43   14:28   3:38  13:52****(*)
Kondrashin/Moscow                  7:02  13:43  4:25  15:06*****
Kondrashin/Dresden                 7:00  13:56  4:20  17:10*****(*)





Sarge

[Karl Henning]

That second movement of the Op.141 is one of Jansons' most glorious achievements.  I'm not surprised that Petrenko found guidance there.

And seeing that timing now for the Barshai . . . I wonder if I've actually listened to his . . . .

[jlaurson]

R.Barshai / WDR SO
Brilliant

B.Haitink / RCO & LPO
(London Phil.  1-4, 7, 9, 10 and 15
Concertgebous 5,6,8 ,11-14)
Decca

M.Shostakovich / Prague SO

M.Rostropovich /

Y.Mravinsky / Leningrad PO
(incomplete)

K.Kondrashin / Moscow PO
Melodiya et al.

V.Petrenko / R.Liverpool PO

M.Jansons / Various
EMI
(BRSO, BPh, LPO, Oslo Phil, Pittsburgh SO,

M.Wigglesworth / Netherlands RPO, BBC NO Wales
BIS

V.Ashekenazy / Royal Phil., St.Petersburg PO, NHK SO
Decca

Various Conductors / RNO
Pentatone
(Vladimir Jurowski 1, 6 | P.Berglund 8 | M.Pletnev 11, 15 | Y.Kreizberg 5, 9... has that been all, to-date? 5 releases, 7 symphonies? Huh, seemed like there was more already)


V.Gergiev / Mariinsky O.
Mariinsky Live

D.Kitayenko / Gürzenich O.
Capriccio

DG Mixed Cycle
(Bernstein, Chung, Järvi, Karajan, Previn, Rostropovich)

L.Slovak / Yablonski
Czech RSO

...and any help and input to complete the list here would be much appreciated... I'm not physically around even the sets I own (bold) -- so any information on First and Last Date of Recording would be very much appreciated!!!

[Karl Henning]

Kondrashin

Op. 70 : rec. 1965
[ Op. 119 : rec. 1965 ]
Op. 43 : rec. 1966
Opp. 47, 54, 65, 113 : rec. 1967
[ Opp. 90, 129, 131 : rec. 1967]
Opp. 10, 14, 20, 112 : rec. 1972
Opp. 93, 103 : rec. 1973
Opp. 135, 141 : rec. 1974
Op. 60 : rec. 1975

In brief, 1965 - 1975

[Sergeant Rock]

Rostropovich

National SO 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13
London SO  2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 15
Academic SO Moscow 14

Recorded 1973 (14) and 1988-1995


Barshai

Recorded 1992-2000


Kitajenko

Recorded 2002-2004


Jansons

Recorded 1988-2005

[Karl Henning]

Kitajenko

Recorded 2002-2004

Whoosh!  That was brisk, eh?  And what's your opinion on the set, Sarge?

[Sergeant Rock]

Whoosh!  That was brisk, eh?  And what's your opinion on the set, Sarge?

I love it. Kitajenko brings out the lyrical side of Shostakovich, downplays the subversive subtext (if it in fact exists). The sonics, especially the studio recordings (six are live) are exemplary, simply ravishing. It's the best sounding cycle.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Oh, my wallet does not thank you.  But the musician does

[Mirror Image]

I like the Haitink Shosty 13!

(Cocktail obliged...)

Me too, but I also like Masur's 13th on Teldec.

[snyprrr]

Me too, but I also like Masur's 13th on Teldec.

You, Jens, prolly Karl- it seems like no one can get passed Masur here. How does Slava/Teldec compare I wonder? I mean, if no one can get passed Masur, then, Masur it is?? I always enjoyed Haitink (should have brought it), but, yea, I guess Masur in glorious Teldec sound... singer is the 'L' guy or 'A' guy? (there are only two singers for this piece, right?haha)

[snyprrr]

That second movement of the Op.141 is one of Jansons' most glorious achievements.  I'm not surprised that Petrenko found guidance there.

And seeing that timing now for the Barshai . . . I wonder if I've actually listened to his . . . .

That chart does illumine! Petrenko seems intriguing... as does Kofman on MDG (how is THAT sound I wonder?!)... right now it's between Jansons and Petrenko for me... will check back...


Maybe someone else can read the tea leaves here.

[jlaurson]

Rostropovich

National SO 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13
London SO  2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 15
Academic SO Moscow 14

Recorded 1973 (14) and 1988-1995


Barshai

Recorded 1992-2000


Kitajenko

Recorded 2002-2004


Jansons

Recorded 1988-2005

Kondrashin

Op. 70 : rec. 1965
[ Op. 119 : rec. 1965 ]
Op. 43 : rec. 1966
Opp. 47, 54, 65, 113 : rec. 1967
[ Opp. 90, 129, 131 : rec. 1967]
Opp. 10, 14, 20, 112 : rec. 1972
Opp. 93, 103 : rec. 1973
Opp. 135, 141 : rec. 1974
Op. 60 : rec. 1975

In brief, 1965 - 1975

you guys are awesome!!!

[aukhawk]

I can add to the above timings for No.15:

M.Shostakovitch/Moscow RSO     7:50  15:04  4:43  14.30  (the world premiere recording, 1972)
Mravinsky/Leningrad PO             7:43  14:28  3:38  13:52

also Caetani/Milano is 'only' 18:11 in the 4th movement, to the start of applause

Caetani/Milano                            8:28  14:28  4:15  18:11

[snyprrr]

1) Rostropovich 15- the third movement 'Allegretto', at 5:40- much slower than even Sanderling, DOES NOT WORK. Too draggy. Except for Sanderling, most everyone else plays it at the 'guisto' speed for that performance (at least on paper).

2) Rostropovich's last movement, at right around 16:00, seems just NOT right. Notice how many others either opt for a much quicker or much slower speed- you either have to milk this music for all it's worth, or get it over with quickly. How are others @16?

3) Haitink's Decca recording is too "perfect", and the ending percussion tick-tock doesn't have the impact of, say, Rodzh, or some of the 'live' recordings.

4) Petrenko's, though, seemingly, a perfect performance, seems marred by not the crispest recording of all time. At this point I NEED the xylophone and piccolo to cut through the way they do in Schiff's Philips recording of CCs. I would have gotten Petrenko (may still), but the Naxos recording isn't EMI, waaaaah!

5) Maxim's EMI LP (never CD) captures the ending percussion nicely.

6) Wigglesworth is BIS distant???


I really want to hear Sanderling/Erato and Jansons/EMI and even Kondrashin/Dresden,... and Lopez-Cobos (still pretty expensive, as are a lot of issues here)... I'm turned off of Slava/Teldec... whew, lot's of cool comparisons...

MORE!

[snyprrr]

And seeing that timing now for the Barshai . . . I wonder if I've actually listened to his . . . .

How can he get away with such a short Adagio in 15?


btw- some perceived insights: the last chord of the Symphony, when the percussion start doing their thing, is the opening chord to Sym. 11? And,... what?, you may ask does the very last chime of the Sym. stand for??... wait... wait...



it's the elevator door chime at the hospital! Sounds to me like DSCH transcribed all the sounds he heard in the hospital (like in the intro to 'The Six Million Dollar Man') to a symphonic style. The "elevator" is.. well, you get it...

[snyprrr]

I can add to the above timings for No.15:

M.Shostakovitch/Moscow RSO     7:50  15:04  4:43  14.30  (the world premiere recording, 1972)
Mravinsky/Leningrad PO             7:43  14:28  3:38  13:52

also Caetani/Milano is 'only' 18:11 in the 4th movement, to the start of applause

Caetani/Milano                            8:28  14:28  4:15  18:11

Currently added a few more... comparing these 15ths is interesting...

[snyprrr]

I have just been freeeaking out over which 15th to re-baptize my appreciation, and, drum roll please, after much and much reading, listening, and debating, I stumbled across a DarkHorse that I believe no one has yet mentioned here. Just to be clear, I was going to leave Mravinsky, Kondrashin, and Rozh for the second round, not least because of relative expense (though the Mravinsky can be had for cheap- I just hear it's not on the level of Kondrashin- please discuss).

I needed sound, yet issues like Solti/Decca, Haitink/Decca, and perhaps Jarvi/DG seemed too polite. Jansons has been praised for beauty, but no one mentions anything deeper. Now, someone at The DSCH Journal said that Ashkenazy, of all people, had a "terrifying" 15th likened to Mravinsky and Kondrashin. BUUUT... Ashkenazy's timings in the two Adagios are the quickest of the whole modern bunch (except Barshai)- but, - wait,... ok, I read on, and this Reviewer convinced me that this might be the antidote for my old Haitink (which has gone missing).

But, what of Jansons, and beauty? And, timings wise, Ashkenazy and Jansons seem like interesting compares. So, because Sanderling/Cleveland was a little more than I wanted to pay at the moment, and Petrenko came with "Naxos sound" (sorry, it's not Decca,Philips,DG,SONY,Teldec, good as it may be- it lost to the newer, 'live' Haitink in ReviewWar), and many other recordings fell by the wayside for one reason or another (Ormandy- adequate, but perhaps not essential?(being nice)).

So, I chose Jansons for the cymbal, and Ashkenazy because the Reviewer stole my heart (and the disc was $1 ). Expectations for both are outrageously high at this point, and any disappointment might scar me! But, I have a feeling about the Ashkenazy (SantaFeListener calls his 5th the most horrible thing ever!)- the timings are to-the-point, and we have sound by London (Studio 1?- or is that Jansons?).

And I haven't heard one bad word about the Jansons. So, Jansons and Ashkenazy for the Debut!

[Mirror Image]

Haitink's newer 15th with the Royal Concertgebouw is quite good. You may want to check that one out, snyprrr.