Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
From the first dark pianissimos to the shattering climactic finale, this is a reading of rare involvement and commitment. At over 72 minutes, it's about 12 minutes longer than most versions of the work, but Rostropovich maintains a note-to-note tension that never lets up, preventing any sense of slackened pace. Subtitled "The Year 1905," the symphony depicts the slaughter of demonstrators by the czarist forces, an event that contributed to the revolution that later swept Russia. For all its powerful, bombastic passages, the overwhelming impression, in Rostropovich's interpretation, is of a work permeated with brooding menace, summoning both what happened and the horrors to come. The LSO is outstanding, conjuring the typically resonant sound of a Russian orchestra, and playing with an electric tension that must have been overwhelming in the concert hall. That emotional power comes through forcefully on disc, though the engineers barely manage to contain the huge dynamic range that can make quiet moments border on the inaudible and loud ones shake the roof. A stunning accomplishment. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 In D: Andante Cantabile
Swan Lake: Odette And The Prince (Act II)
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor: Andantino
Swan Lake: Pas de deux (Act III)
The Sleeping Beauty: Panorama (Act II)
Violin Concerto In D: Canzonetta (Andante)
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Coffee Dance
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Tea Dance
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Dance Of The Reed-pipes
Rococco Variations: Final variation
Piano Trio In A Minor: Andante con moto
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation I. L'istesso tempo
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation IX. Andante flebile, ma non tanto
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation XI. Moderato
The Sleeping Beauty: Vision Of Aurora
Serenade For Strings In C: Elegie: Larghtto elegiaco

Customer Reviews:

Tchaikovsky and Tchai.......2006-07-17

I wondered what do Tchaikovsky and Tea have in common, and then I remembered that in many countries across the world - the word for tea is "tchai". That aside, yes, this is a refreshing blend of music, perfect for tea time - relaxing and reviving at the same time, and quite a bit dreamy.

Teatime...or otherwise........2005-11-02

I've owned this for years & play it often. It IS perfect for teatime, as it makes pleasant background music which you can talk over....but is also great w/volume up in car w/it's rambunctious side and incredible instrumentation. A really nice blend of Tchaikovsky's pieces.

Tchaikovsky's Dreamier Music: A Soothing Album.......2005-07-31

"Set your Life to Classical Music" is a fine album series that feature beautiful classical music for background music of any occasion- weddings, barbecues, breakfast, beauty sleep, bathtime, reading a book, romantic dinner, massages you name it. And indeed many classical pieces are perfectly therapeutic sessions in themselves. This album features the more intimate-sounding, soulful, sweet and relaxing tunes of Tchaikovsky. He did compose heavier and more dramatically intense music- his later symphonies, his Overtures and operas. But here we hear no Russian fire or harshness. Instead we are treated to the charming Mozartian style works of the Roccoco Variations and the Piano Trios. The disc also features the Andantino from his Piano Concerto No. 1 - and that piece is almost a Chopin Nocturne, with beautiful soft rubato and dream-like qualities. Included here is also the Pas De Deux and Odette and Siegfried theme from his ballet Swan Lake, lilting and graceful as the dancers movements themselves. The dance divertissements from Nutcracker round out the ballet segments with charming allure. The melancholy String Quartet and Serenade For Strings is here as well and not to mention the beautiful, wistful excerpts from the ballet Sleeping Beauty, his greatest ballet. The Panorama and Vision of Aurora played with delicate strings and sublime technicality. This is indeed a "refreshing blend for body and spirit" and is in fact perfect to listen to while drinking tea cosnidering you drink tea. I have tried it and believe me the experience is very soothing and refreshing. Try putting this on in your miniature CD player with headphones, then go out into an outdoor, natural environment, a park or a backyard garden or patio, and drink tea or read a book and you will find this is a fine companion.

Beautiful.......2003-08-25

One of the best aspects of Tchiakovsky's music is the ocnsistency: he just DIDN'T compose any bad pieces. And with such consistency, you can compile a CD such as this.
THis CD gives you a proper taste of Tchaikovsky's style, and is a very nice sampler of some of his most famous works. This CD lacks some of his more energetically volatile works, but it thus lives up to its title. It is extremely relaxing, and soothes you as you listen to it. The works are melodic, and the orchestras and soloists are superb, especially in the Serenade and the Rococco Variations. I highly recommend this CD for anyone, even if you aren't a huge classical music fan.

Tchaikovsky's Most Enchanting Tunes.......2000-08-19

Like the title suggest, a good companion for tea time. Or any time. The music of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky is beautiful, lyrical and full of a grace and charm that parallels to Mozart's. A great collection of music by the legendary Russian composer. He had a gift for making music in a style that did not sway away from Russian folk music but that added a Classical perfection, or better yet a Romantic mastership. Who can forget the Sleeping Beauty suite. Here is the Panorama scene.. gorgeous music. I recommend the entire ballet score. The Nutcraker and Swan Lake are also here. The Piano concerto no. 1 in B, Andante Cantibile and so much more. I garauntee any listener satisfaction.

Average customer rating:

A "Regular People" Review
Intense and heartbreaking
A Terrible Beauty
a shocker, but very worthwhile
High emotional involvement

Symphony 11: The Year 1905
Shostakovich , Rostropovich , and Lso
Manufacturer: Lso Live UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
Schostakowitsch: Symphonie No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad"
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8

ASIN: B00006C2D8
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Amazon.com

From the first dark pianissimos to the shattering climactic finale, this is a reading of rare involvement and commitment. At over 72 minutes, it's about 12 minutes longer than most versions of the work, but Rostropovich maintains a note-to-note tension that never lets up, preventing any sense of slackened pace. Subtitled "The Year 1905," the symphony depicts the slaughter of demonstrators by the czarist forces, an event that contributed to the revolution that later swept Russia. For all its powerful, bombastic passages, the overwhelming impression, in Rostropovich's interpretation, is of a work permeated with brooding menace, summoning both what happened and the horrors to come. The LSO is outstanding, conjuring the typically resonant sound of a Russian orchestra, and playing with an electric tension that must have been overwhelming in the concert hall. That emotional power comes through forcefully on disc, though the engineers barely manage to contain the huge dynamic range that can make quiet moments border on the inaudible and loud ones shake the roof. A stunning accomplishment. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A "Regular People" Review.......2007-04-25

I'm writing this review after only one listen through of this work. That is all I need to realize how great of music this is. I'm a big fan of Shostakovich's 5'th (especially as it [rightly?] reminds me of a Mahler Symphony), but this is different. I hear no Mahler here and I still love it, The emotion in this recording is rival to Verdi in my opinion, very impressed! This is the only recording I have ever heard so I can't comment on that. I hope this helps.

Intense and heartbreaking.......2007-03-31

The Eleventh Symphony is probably the most underrated so far in the Shostakovich cycle. What distinguishes this work from the other masterpieces like the 8th and 10th is the unremitting, intense finale, which doesn't seem to break into a major key once, and leaves listeners quite firmly and loudly in the minor. In a way, the true finale to a "tragic" work of a rather "tragic" composer.

At any rate, this recording is almost the definition of this piece. It has the perfect tempi, which are slower than "usual," adding weight but not lacking in intensity. In addition, this is probably the only recording which ends the piece correctly, with a massive "thwack" on the tam-tam and chimes that rings into infinity.

In addition, I must point out my favorite detail of this recording: the cor anglais solo in the Tocsin. With Rostropovich and the LSO, this is done the correct way: deathly slow to the point of pain, and totally heartbreaking.

My only problem with this and every LSO Live recording is the sheer flatness of the recording. Most of the brass and woodwinds come out of the texture, but the general feeling is rather compressed and unnatural, especially in the bass (cello and double bass, drums, tuba, etc.)

But regardless of the sound quality, this is a must-hear performance. Period. Get it. Now.

A Terrible Beauty.......2007-03-25

The 11th symphony is almost like a ballet, the music is so descriptive. The peasants gather outside the palace. The czar's soldiers come down upon the crowd. The tocsin sounds (the first time I ever saw the word "tocsin", or "warning bell", was in reference to this symphony, but there are certainly points where "toxin" seems to apply too!). And the LSO and Rostropovich do a fairly good job of managing the dynamics. The sound does seem to go from sub-woofer to megaphone a couple of times, which can be disconcerting, but as long as you're aware of that the only problem this might cause is scaring the company away. I'm not sure if this is the kind of music you entertain to, however. It's gorgeous, but it's heavy.

a shocker, but very worthwhile.......2006-09-03

Like others posting here, I too was shocked by the extremely slow tempos of this performance, but I was just as impressed by the power of it. Somehow, at this painfully slow tempo, Rostropovich is able to hold a central pulse for each movement; it has been my experience that regardless of what type of music being played, it's quite hard to keep good time with such slow tempos. The fact that a large orchestra can keep such time over such a long work gives an impression that they are very committed to this performance.

I do have a gripe about the mastering on this CD. The dynamic range is probably the broadest I have ever heard on any music mastered in the digital domain. This CD is not at all suitable for casual listening. You must be completely focused on it. If you also try to listen to it with other people in the house, you'll constantly have to be toying with the volume knob, as this disc ranges from a barely audible whisper to barely controllable loudness. It's best experienced in solitude, turned way up, or with headphones, where you won't be disturbed. This is a great album, but not a CD for all seasons.

High emotional involvement.......2005-12-26

Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is more programmatic than most of his work in the symphonic canon and approaches his Symphony 7 "Leningrad" in spirit and word. Both are long and overstated symphonies about Russian history replete with ceremonial bombast and regular thematic repitition.

This symphony is billed as Shostakovich's take on the 1905 Russian pre-revolution although many analysts argue it is instead modeled after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1953. In either case it paints a portrait of people and events with discontent bubbling not far below the surface then boiling over into a cauldron of mania.

Like in his integral set of Shostakovich symphonies, Rostropovich's response to this music is highly emotional and broadly paced. He takes more than 72 minutes to get through the score compared to conductors that traverse the music in closer to an hour. In his still famous performance in Houston, Stokowksi's total time was about 10 minutes shy of Rostropovich's concert recording for the LSO Live label.

I would characterize Rostropovich's approach to this music as nearly silent brooding punctuated by terror. This is most obvious in the way he presents the two quieter movements (1 and 3) and follows them with the more boisterous movements (2 and 4). The contrast between the quiet brooding of the opening section, which is said to represent people gathering at the palace, and the savage militaristic rhythms of the timpani- and brass-driven mania of the second movement (where the palace guard opens fire on the crowd) is exemplary of his approach.

Comapred to conductors who direct this score as concert music, Rostropovich's approach is more personal and far more Russian. His invovlement with the music is complete, his intensity is unrelenting, and his emtional conviction is 100 percent throughout. Whether this leads to a better outcome is questionable for the music is full of pathos without anything additional provided in the direction. I liken his approach to Leonard Bernstein conducting the Mahler symphonies.

The recording, taken from a pair of concerts in the Barbican in March 2002, is exceptionally truthful especially the rhythmic timpani and brass attacks in the second movement. The London Symphony Orchestra does not have the requesite power in the low brass and the wavering French tone in high brass to sound like a Russian band. Still it reflects the conductor's approach and is with him all the way emotionally.

I'd say this recording is most desirable for listeners that like their Shostakovich a bit overdone especially in the rhetorical sections where Rostropovich never fails to lay on the tonic with thick proportion.

Average customer rating:

DePreist and Helsinki more than deliver
Great! You can't go wrong.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 6 & No. 10
Shostakovich: Symphonies No 6 & 12 /Haitink

ASIN: B0000006X4
Release Date: 1992-12-11

Tracks:

The Palace Square
January 9th
In Memoriam
The Tocsin

Customer Reviews:

DePreist and Helsinki more than deliver.......2005-09-14

Although this piece is now very well-represented on recordings, this one still holds up quite well. This shattering, sorrowful symphony is in four movements, played without pause, depicting the Soviet uprising and massacre in 1905. It is an intense experience, but it more than rewards the listener with sheer visceral excitement.

James De Preist is absolutely in the driver's seat here, capturing the eerie, sorrowful quietness in the opening pages, all the way through the monumental ending that will take your sound system by storm. This piece gives an orchestra quite a workout, and De Preist encourages the Helsinki Philharmonic to deliver a powerful sound befitting the urgency of the music. If they are not known as one of the world's "great orchestras," it hardly seems to matter here; they certainly play their guts out.

Delos' sound quality is magnificent, given the work's enormous dynamic range. If the orchestra sounds as if it is positioned slightly further back than usual in the soundstage, this may be the engineers' decision, making sure they capture every bit of the sonic wall coming at them.

This is definitely not a recording for anyone seeking a quiet evening, but as a powerful, often draining musical experience, it will stick with you for a very long time. Newcomers to Shostakovich are usually steered toward the Fifth or Tenth symphonies - both masterpieces - but this one more than holds its own, and some listeners may respond more to the heart-on-sleeve, immediate impact of this one.

Great! You can't go wrong........2003-03-19

I remembered the time when I first heard that piece. It was in a PBS series "Cosmos" with Carl Sagan. I didn't know what that piece was until I heard it on the vinyl LP "The Music Of Cosmos." It included an excerpt of the Stokowski version with the Huston Symphony Orchestra (the 1st movement). Later I got the cassette of the whole symphony (that was before I got my first CD player). It sounded like something out of "Star Wars" in some parts (sorta like "Imperial March"). I remember one instance when I listen to the cassette in the AM/FM cassette player in my car. I was listening to the last movement, entitled "The Alarm," and (wouldn't you know?) I happen to be passing by a fire depatment with the alarm going on! That was a suprise. Good thing I'm the type of person that don't let a thing like that distract my driving ability.

A few years later, I listened to a Delos sampler CD that featured an excerpt from the DePreist version. The sound from the Helsinki orchestra is more distinctive (such as, the occasional drum roll in the first movement). Later I got the Delos CD of the "1905" symphony itself. The performance seems to match that of the Stokowski verion and the sound is great for trying out your sound system.

Tracks:

Symphony No.11 In G Minor ('The Year 1905'), Op.103: The Palace Square (Adagio)
Symphony No.11 In G Minor ('The Year 1905'), Op.103: January 9th (Allegro)
Symphony No.11 In G Minor ('The Year 1905'), Op.103: Eternal Memory (Adagio)
Symphony No.11 In G Minor ('The Year 1905'), Op.103: Alarm (Allegro non troppo)

Amazon.com

This has always been the version of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 to go by. All others pale against this. This first appeared as a double vinyl LP in the 1960s, then as a single LP in the 1970s, and now on this CD. But give credit where all the credit is due: Stokowski extracts a deeply felt performance from the Houston Symphony Orchestra that catches all the nuances of the slow passages of each movement. But kudos go to the sound engineers who capture the incredible bass passages in the last movement. Since this is also a mid-price CD, this is the one to get. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Houston Symphony under Stokowski.......2006-08-19

A MOST DYNAMIC AND POWERFUL SELECTION UNDER ONE OF THE FORMOST CONDUCTORS AND PERFORMED BY ONE OF THE SUPERIOR ORCHESTRAS OF THE TIME. ENJOY THIS TRULY COLLECTIBLE ITEM.

Agreement with all...one small irritant.......2006-07-18

I have loved this work since the 1960's when I found the 2 LP set in a college bookstore sale bin. I was floored by the passion and intensity of the work and the depth of sound (the sonics) of the recording. My only quibble is that the EMI engineers truncate the ending. The LP's final bell sound reverbs into the distance to silence. EMI chops off the reverb making an abrupt ending that disrupts the sense of fate in the ending. It is a small quibble given the sheer performing, composing and recording magic that preceeds it.

Stoky wins.......2006-04-26

Suffice to say this one of my desert island recordings. There are newer recordings with better orchestras but none of them is the searing and gut wrenching experience of this one. I still recall hearing this performance on a long-lost FM station when I was college kid (over 40 years ago.) I sought it out and have lived with it ever since. I can't fathom the review that says the climaxes are missing. The Depriest is recorded at such a low volume level that I thought there was something wrong with my equipment when I put it on. (There wasn't.) Some of the Russian conductors have done well with this sadly underrated work. Stokowski, however, may be unsurpassable.

I absolutely love this work (and the recording does it justice), but I beg to differ from Paul Cook (Amazon.com reviewer).......2005-12-02

As I stated in the title, this is an incredible piece of music, having a life of its own (kind of takes Mahler to an even more intense level, if one can imagine such a thing). It has had an incredible impact on the way I feel music (Solti's rendition of Wagner's spectacular Ring cycle being another one). But the recording to which I refer? Not this one (though I must respect Stokowski for all of his ground-breaking work, not just in this piece, but in music in general). Rather, a newer recording (c.2004), w/ the LSO, Rostropovich at the helm. (Please note that Rostropovich knew Shostakovich on a personal level, having premiered that composer's first Cello Concerto many years ago). Rostropovich really conveys to me the intensity of the nature of this piece, from the eerie calm of the Palace Square, to the violent slaughter of civilians in the second movement (12:30 into track 2 I believe), all the way into the crushing finale, leaving the listener out of breath and energy. I'm sorry that this is more a review of the Rostropovich/LSO interpretation, but I sincerely feel that that particular recording is the new standard that "all others must go by." Sorry Stokowski, but Rostropovich has you beat.

Stokowski threw his hat in the ring with this performance!.......2004-11-24

This performance is supreme . It is literally unbeatable in all the possible corners. It intense , its fierceness and wildness has no enemies in all the previous or next recordings . I may recommend in a second place an extraordinary version of Mravinsky but the distance between both is so great that you may state the second is in the tenth place .
This symphony is very exciting and rich in thematic ideas and virile in sheer energy , its formal construction and colorful scoring allows and demands too a ranked conductor to win the numerous challenges in dynamics and rhythmic tension ; the sforzandos and fevered attacks result in a very complicated puzzle for any competent director . But if you do onot own the scope sense as Stokowski did ; sorry you are out of combat .
This recording through the years has became in a cult status and seems improve with the age .
A must for all the hard fans of Shostakovich.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot

Average customer rating:

Electrifying
Great, and NOT JUST for the symphony
Masterpiece Recording!
AMAZING
HEART THROBBING!

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 12
Shostakovich: Symphony #4 - Mariss Jansons/Bavarian Radio Symphony
Shostakovich: Symphonies #3 '1st of May' & #14 - Mariss Jansons, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B000002RW1
Release Date: 1997-07-08

Tracks:

Sym No.11, Op.103 ('The Year 1905') in g: I: The Palace Square (Adagio)
Sym No.11, Op.103 ('The Year 1905') in g: II: The 9th Of January (Allegro)
Sym No.11, Op.103 ('The Year 1905') in g: III: In Memoriam (Adagio)
Sym No.11, Op.103 ('The Year 1905') in g: IV: The Tocsin (Allegro Non Troppo)
Jazz Ste No.1: I: Waltz
Jazz Ste No.1: II: Polka
Jazz Ste No.1: III: Foxtrot
Jazz Ste No.2 VI: Waltz 2
Tahiti Trot (Tea For Two)

Customer Reviews:

Electrifying.......2007-02-05

Forget Superman at Six Flags. Get your thrills and chills with Shostakovich, Jansons, and the Philadelphia Orchestra today!

My general problem with most recordings of the 11th Symphony fall into two categories: sound quality and tempo. I feel extremely short-changed if people rush through this work, especially at the most transcendental moments such as the cor anglais solo in the last movement. Shostakovich? Transcendental? Well, maybe not in the spiritual sense, but the despairing wail of the solo cor anglais rises far above the melee and mayhem of the previous 55 minutes or so--utterly heartbreaking on this recording. The other issue is mostly a problem with the LSO Live engineers, who I think don't quite understand how an orchestra should sound.

Jansons has no such problems with either, although my last pet peeve, the short last note and quiet chimes, does happen in this recording, but the whole rest of it makes up for those, I think.

Not just "merely adequate," Jansons goes far above these bare minimum requirements. The brass are terrifying, the strings electric, and the solo cor anglais, as mentioned above, will make you weep, if you're in the right (wrong?) mood. The percussion have good presence most of the time, excepting the last moments in the chimes.

The biggest shock in this recording came when Jansons nearly doubles the tempo at the percussion solo in the 9 Jan. movement. This actually sounded pretty fair to me after my initial shock: sounded like real gunfire, almost. Whatever the case, I don't mind it at all.

Great, and NOT JUST for the symphony.......2006-09-26

I'm not going to try to add anything to the other reviewers on that score.

But the "filler" is also very good. If you're not familiar with this more playful side of Shostakovich, hear him kick up his heels in the Jazz Suite No. 1. Then hear a haunting waltz from Jazz Suite No. 2, something that sounds like it would have played well just before "the lights went out" in August 1914.

Masterpiece Recording!.......2005-11-23

Mariss Jansons takes the listener back in time to that bloody Sunday in 1905 in St. Petersburg!
The contrasting moods between movements and the energy are vividly present in this recording.
A reference recording for anyone wanting to get to know this amazing work. I highly recomend it.
I have listened to many recordings of the 11th, but none come anywhere close to this one! Truly a masterpiece CD!

AMAZING.......2004-09-03

Simply put, this is the best recording of this work I have ever heard. Without being shackled by Wolfgang, the Philadelphia Orchestra sounds just tremendous! The brass are simply incredible and the strings are lush and moving. I second the other guy... stop reading and buy this recording now. This equals the CSO/Bernstein recording of Shostakovich's 7th symphony!

HEART THROBBING!.......2000-06-20

Unbelievable! This recording gave me goose bumps during the entire hour of the 11th symphony. The Philadelphia Orchestra is at its best! Jansons and the orchestra truly make the listener re-live the experience of that cold morning of January 9th, 1905. How Dramatic! Words cannot describe...buy this, now! Stop reading this review and buy it! Five stars is an understatement!

Average customer rating:

A Historically Significant Box Set with Lasting Significance
Amazing performance of the 14th
Great set, but Symphony 14 sounds a little off
Great Recordings of Great Music at a Great Price.
fine

Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dvorak & Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos
Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems
Mahler: The Complete Symphonies
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Prokofiev, Shostakovich: Violin Concertos no 1 / Rostropovich, Vengerov

ASIN: B000005824
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Allegretto
Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Allegro
Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Lento
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegro molto
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegro
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Moderato
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Presto
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Largo
Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegretto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 In B Major, Op. 14: Largo
Symphony No. 2 In B Major, Op. 14: Quarter Note = 152
Symphony No. 2 In B Major, Op. 14: Poco meno mosso - Allegro molto
Symphony No. 2 In B Major, Op. 14: Chorus: 'To October'
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Allegretto
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Piu mosso - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Andante
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Allegro - Allegro molto
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Andante - Largo
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 20: Chorus: 'The First of May'

Tracks:

Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, Op. 43: Allegretto poco moderato - Presto
Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, Op. 43: Moderato con moto
Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, Op. 43: Largo - Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Moderato - Allegro non troppo - Largamente - Moderato
Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegretto
Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Largo
Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegro non troppo

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 54: Largo
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 54: Allegro
Symphony No. 6 In B Minor, Op. 54: Presto
Symphony No. 12 In D Minor, Op. 112: Revolutionary Petrograd
Symphony No. 12 In D Minor, Op. 112: Razliv
Symphony No. 12 In D Minor, Op. 112: Aurora
Symphony No. 12 In D Minor, Op. 112: The Dawn Of Humanity

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7 In C Major, Op. 60 'Leningrad': Allegretto
Symphony No. 7 In C Major, Op. 60 'Leningrad': Moderato (poco allegretto)
Symphony No. 7 In C Major, Op. 60 'Leningrad': Adagio
Symphony No. 7 In C Major, Op. 60 'Leningrad': Allegro non troppo

Tracks:

Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Adagio - Allegro non troppo
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegretto
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegro non troppo
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Largo
Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegretto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 10 In E Minor, Op. 93: Moderato
Symphony No. 10 In E Minor, Op. 93: Allegro
Symphony No. 10 In E Minor, Op. 93: Allegretto
Symphony No. 10 In E Minor, Op. 93: Andante - Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 103: The Palace Square
Symphony No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 103: The Ninth Of January
Symphony No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 103: In Memoriam
Symphony No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 103: The Tocsin

Tracks:

Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Babi Yar: Adagio
Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Humour: Allegretto
Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': In The Store: Adagio
Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Fears: Largo
Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Career: Allegretto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: De profundis: Adagio
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: Malaguena: Allegretto
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: Lorelei: Allegro molto
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: The Suicide: Adagio
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: On Watch: Allegretto
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: Madam, Look!: Adagio
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: At The Sante Jail: Adagio
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: The Zaporozhian Cossack's Answer To The Sultan Of Constantinople: Allegro
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: O Delvig! O Delvig!: Andante
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: The Poet's Death: Largo
Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 For Soprano, Bass And Chamber Orchestra: Conclusion: Moderato

Tracks:

Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Allegretto
Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Adagio - Largo - Adagio - Largo
Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Allegretto
Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto

Amazon.com essential recording

Mstislav Rostropovich was a friend of the composer, and his performances of the 15 Shostakovich symphonies are uniquely authoritative. It's true that as a conductor the great cellist has had his ups and downs, but unlike so many far less musical personalities, he has only recorded the music that he feels most passionately about, and the results have been generally impressive. His performances of Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are really among the best ever, and there isn't as single performance among the rest that isn't at least very good. The National Symphony Orchestra of Washington in particular plays with real guts and conviction. An essential set for fans of the composer. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A Historically Significant Box Set with Lasting Significance.......2004-10-03

This set of 12 CDs is a recording of all fifteen symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich by the cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. Not only is this survey of Shostokovich's very important symphonic output one of the few times we are able to listen to all the symphonies with as few variables as possible, allowing us to truly hear the course of thought and creativity and turmoil of Shostokovich, but it also fulfills a promise between the composer and his pupil (Rostropovich) to create this project. Rostropovich premiered some of these symphonies and had direct instruction from the composer as to the interpretation of them all. All of these facts make this a compendium of recordings that belong in the libraries of music lovers devoted to the genius of Shostakovich.

Now if only the individual performances were as solid as the project itself! While we may be hearing these works with the knowledge that the composer sanctioned them, they are variable in success. Part of this is due to the variable quality of sound the conductor elicits from the three orchestras involved (the National Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Members of the Academic Symphony Orchestra Moscow). The tempi are less successful than those chosen by better conductors performing these works today, and the usual degree of excitement obtained by other batons is missing. But the performances of all 15 symphonies are never less than interesting and are indeed at times illuminating. In all, this is an important body of recordings and belongs in collections of all those who appreciate the significance of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Amazing performance of the 14th.......2001-08-10

I currently own 5 versions of the 14th symphony (Kondrashin, Bernstein, Barshai (a relay of the preimiere in Moscow), Haitink, and another Rostropovich version on the Russian Revelation label. The Bernstein is saggy and contrived, the Haitink fails to excite, the earlier Rostropovich is in terrible audio, The Kondrashin is excellent and full of white heat, and the Barshai is even more hair raising.

And where does this version of the 14th belong? Among the very best. This perfomance's soloists were the original soloists Shostakovich intended (Vishnevskaya and Rhestin). The orchestra though different from the primiere is still excellent. When listening to the Haitink, the orchestra plays with emotional reservation. Not the case here

Great set, but Symphony 14 sounds a little off.......2001-07-26

Rostropovich's performance is very good, but I haven't particularly liked the 14th (my favourite!). Comparing this recording to the other two I own (Bernstein with the NY Philarmonic and Haitink with the Concertgebouw -- this last has lyrics in each poem's original language, which I like better), I found the performance sub-par. It seems the orchestra is not performing cohesively during some piano passages.

Also, it is a shame (or should I say a sham) that not all the CDs are sold individually. I tried to buy the series one-by-one across 3 countries (US, Brazil and Chile), and haven't found Symphony No. 7 so far...

Great Recordings of Great Music at a Great Price........2000-03-31

I feel bad for those of you who have passed by this title and have not ordered it. Buy it now or else buy a gun and shoot yourself because you don't know what you're missing! Great recordings of great music at a great price. Buy it now!

fine.......2000-03-17

Sorry,I cannot write or speak English well.

A Day in the life of Lucky: classical music for you & your dog

Average customer rating:

Good - But Pet Music is Better

A Day in the life of Lucky: classical music for you & your dog

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00004SDC1
Release Date: 2000-03-21

Tracks:

Concerto In C Major For 2 Trumpets: I. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 2 In D Major: I. Vivace
Simple Gifts
Banjo & Fiddle
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major: II. Adagio
Symphony No. 41 In C Major, 'Jupiter', K. 551: IV. Molto allegro
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 In B-Flat, BWV 1051: III. Allegro
Carmen Suite No. 1: II. Intermezzo
Folk Festival (Spanish Dance)
The Four Seasons, Concerto No. 3 In F Major (P.257) 'Autumn': III. Allegro
Gymnopedie No. 1
Rodeo: Hoe-Down
String Quartet No. 1: Andante Cantabile

Customer Reviews:

Good - But Pet Music is Better.......2004-01-23

My collie Damian loves music so I am a fan of the concept of music for pets. I recently purchased every title in Amazon related to pets. They are all very good attempts at soothing dogs (and cats too I guess!). Hands down - or PAWS Down - PET MUSIC - a 3CD set - is the very best.

Average customer rating:

Not Just For Little Guys
A favorite of MY little guy
Classical music for playtime

Good Music for Little Guys

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Scat Like That: A Musical Word Odyssey
Catch That Train!
The Johnny Cash Children's Album
Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition)
Facing the Giants (Widescreen)

ASIN: B00004C4LE
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

The Stars And Stripes Forever
Carmen: The Toreadors
William Tell: Overture
Rodeo: Hoe-Down
The Love For Three Oranges: March
Ballet Suite No. 1: Galop
Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail
Water Music Suite No.2 In D: Alla Hornpipe
Sonata in A: Turkish March
March, Op.99
The Red Poppy Ballet Suite, Op.70: Russian Sailors' Dance
Lyric Suite, Op.54: March Of The Dwarfs
Ballet Suite No.3: Galop
La Danserie: Moorish Dance
Sonata Em Re: Rocking-Horse
Concerto No.2 in D major: Hungarian Rondo
Symphony No.8 In F Major, Op.93: Allegretto Scherzando
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 In F Major, BWV 1047: Allegro assai

Amazon.com

In the recent annals of classical music collections for parents of young children, almost all releases have been aimed at the developing brain. The music's largely been mellow, even when specifically oriented towards playtime. Good Music for Little Guys shares the classical affiliations, but it veers overtly and unabashedly towards play. The music is bright and active, from Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" to Copland's "Hoe Down," with lesser-known pieces clocking in with quick tempos. What the more obviously robust music does well is aid in play, with march rhythms that can have kids participating in a mock parade and well-lit orchestrations that can incite impromptu dancing. The recordings are drawn from Delos Records' many releases, and each is well produced and exemplary. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description

Copland, Prokofiev, Various Classical Composers

Customer Reviews:

Not Just For Little Guys.......2004-03-26

My two sons, ages 4 and 1, love the CD. They love to dance, march, and jump to these upbeat classical favorites. It is a great way to have kids burn energy while working the body and mind. Occasionally I point out the different instruments, loudness, speed of the music, name of the piece, composer etc. It is nice to have all of these favorites compiled on one CD. The CD is 67 minutes long so I start the CD at a different spot each time. The title is misleading, I think it should read "Good Music for Little Guys and Girls"!

A favorite of MY little guy.......2002-11-21

My 18-month-old enjoys this album a lot. If he's feeling grumpy, starting it up will usually bring at least a temporary smile at the first strains of "The Stars and Stripes Forever". If he's in a good mood to begin with, he really gets into it, moving with the music. It's a lot more tolerable on repeat than some of his other favorite albums, as well, which makes my day more pleasant.

Classical music for playtime.......2002-10-31

I bought this album for my grandson when he was just 11 months and he immediately danced to the music. Now he is 16 months old and as soon as he hears the first piece, he runs to get his rhythm instruments so he can keep time to the music. Most of the baby classical albums don't have lively music so this is a real treat. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to encourage a love of classical music and a sense of rhythm.

Average customer rating:

Mussorgskian Masterpiece
Worthy to stand with the best

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11
Dmitri Shostakovich , Semyon Bychkov , and Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Similar Items:

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

ASIN: B00000E3NC
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Mussorgskian Masterpiece.......2007-06-29

This performance was panned in the press when it first came out. I've always suspected politics or partisanship. It is the best I have heard, though I'm not acquainted with some of the newer performances. I heard Mravinsky with the National Symphony Orchestra in the 90's at Best Buy. Beautiful recording, horrible performance-- cracked trumpets in the second movement. I took it back and got my money back.

I grew up with this symphony. I first heard excerpts from the opening movement on Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' documentary, when he was talking about the Library at Alexandria. I was seven at the time. I didn't even know what a symphony was. I only knew I had never heard such amazing haunting music. This piece inspired me to discover the whole world of Orchestral Music, and eventually to become a composer. But it has never ceased to haunt me since, though you have to be a glutton for pathos and tragedy. This is a work of enormous significance, and enormous difficulty. If you don't get this piece, then you don't get Shostakovich's music, or Russian music in general. Hang up the headphones and go back to Bizet. It is a Masterpiece.

Stokowski's performance was the soundtrack to my childhood. I never had reason to doubt him till I heard Bychkov. They say that the first performance you hear of a work often defines your perception of it. If so, then Bychkov redefined the year 1905 for me. He recorded this, 5, a few other Shostakovich works, then he seemed to disappear altogether, though now that I am on Amazon I see that he is with Koln. Best of luck Simon, and many thanks.

Worthy to stand with the best.......2005-11-02

I am repelled by Shostakovich's patriotic symphonies, not because they are Soviet propaganda but because patriotism brought out the most banal and impersonal side of Shostakovich's talent. It has tkaen me years to adapt to the anti-Nazi Seventh Sym. of interminable length, and I will never be able to swallow the world-class inanity of the Twelfth, surely the one symphony Shostakovich must be doing penance for in Limbo. Occasionally I can warm to the Eleventh, although I don't buy its sob-story revolutionary rhetoric for a minute.

Of the existing recordings, the one by Stokowski and the Houston Sym. is recommended nine times out of ten; recently a rather savage and rough-hewn live performance with the London Sym. under Rostropovich has many admirers. In a rational world I would have stuck with the Stokowski, but here with Semyon Bychkov we get the superlative Berlin Phil., miles ahead of the Houston Sym., and a conductor with a flair for the drama and excitment of this work but without the slightest tolerance for its phoniness. The result is a bit straight-faced, but so much the better. The sonics from 1987 show a bit of digital glare but not so much that it gets irritating except at the very loudest volume levels. Recommended as a first choice.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

phenomenal live performance and recording

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Lso Live UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in c minor [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B0006A629W
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

phenomenal live performance and recording.......2006-07-06

Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is not one of his greatest works -- it is not in the same league as the 4th, 5th, 8th and 10th. It is better than the 7th (see my review of Gergiev's excellent recent recording), but similar.

Rostropovich and the London Symphony Orchestra perform the 11th magnificently here, though, with state-of-the-art recording quality, which makes this the clear choice for the 11th for a Shostakovich symphony collection. This disc has garnered rave reviews in Gramophone and the DSCH Journal. Warning -- the dynamic range is unusually wide. The opening Palace Square adagio begins at ppp, and if you turn the volume up so you can hear it, you will be deafened when the climax of the January 9th allegro arrives.

Rostropovich was a close friend of the composer. His recordings of Shostakovich have been uneven, but when he is ON, there is no conductor better at conveying the depth of tragedy and the Russian soul of the music, and Slava and the LSO were definitely ON the night they recorded this symphony in March of 2002.

See my SHOSTAKOVICH: A CENTENARY LISTENER'S GUIDE for more of the great Dmitri Shostakovich.

Music Review:

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