Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Newly repackaged in a space-saving, super-bargain box, the Naxos Shostakovich cycle may entice shoppers looking to acquire the 15 symphonies cheaply and all at once. Certain performances are better than others. The First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 10th, and 12th require more dynamism and heft than the Czecho-Slovak Symphony Orchestra give Ladislav Slovák, notwithstanding marvelous first-desk solos. By contrast, the caustic wit and slippery chamberlike qualities of Nos. 9 and 15 are expertly realized. Bass Peter Mikulas and soprano Magdaléna Hajóssyová enliven and brilliantly characterize texts in the two "song symphonies," Nos. 13 and 14. Slovák, in turn, revels in the disjunctive sound worlds of the Second and Third, and traverses the Fourth, Seventh, Eighth, and 11th with an eagle-eyed overview of their sprawling canvasses. You shouldn't be without key individual recordings like Bernstein's 1959 New York Philharmonic Fifth, Berglund's 11th, or Haitink's 13th, and Rudolf Barshai's bargain cycle on Brilliant Classics offers greater sonic impact and more personalized conducting. Still and all, the present set's finest moments are worth the modest investment. --Jed Distler

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies, Music, Dmitri Shostakovich, Ladislav Slovak, Czecho-Slovak Symphony Orchestra, 20th/21st Century Symphony, 20th/21st Century Symphony with Chorus, 20th/21st Century Symphony with Multiple Solo Voices, 20th/21st Century Symphony with Solo Voice and Chorus, Box Sets (Audio Only), Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Symphonic

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD)
Average customer rating:

Essential performances of wonderul music

Great Performances - But one defective pressing

A nice tour of seven orchestras, but the interpretations lack fire

Shastakovich at his best

Amazing Cycle of Shostakovich Symphonies

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Shostakovich: Complete Concertos

Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos - An Owner's Manual: Unlocking the Masters Series (Unlocking the Masters)

ASIN: B000G6BJS0
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

I: Allegretto-Allegro Non Troppo - Ludwig Quandt
II: Allegro - Ludwig Quandt
III: Lento - Ludwig Quandt
IV: Allegro Molto-Lento-Allegro Molto - Ludwig Quandt
I: Allegretto - Joakim Svenheden
II: Adagio-Largo-Adagio-Largo - Joakim Svenheden
III: Allegretto - Joakim Svenheden
IV: Adagio-Allegretto-Adagio-Allegretto - Joakim Svenheden

Tracks:

Largo - Andreas Rohn
Poco Meno Mosso-Allegro Molto - Andreas Rohn
Chorus: 'To October' - Andreas Rohn
I: Revolutionary Petrograd - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
II: Razliv - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
III: Aurora - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
IV: The Dawn Of Humanity - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Tracks:

Allegretto - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Piu Mosso - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Allegro - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Andante - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Allegro - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Andante - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Moderato. Chorus: 'V Pervoye Pervoye Maya' - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
De Profundis - Sergei Aleksashkin
Malaguena - Sergei Aleksashkin
La Loreley - Sergei Aleksashkin
Le Suicide - Sergei Aleksashkin
Les Attentives I - Sergei Aleksashkin
Les Attentives II - Sergei Aleksashkin
A La Sante - Sergei Aleksashkin
Reponse Des Casaques Zaporogues Au Sultan Se Constantinople - Sergei Aleksashkin
O Delvig, Delvig! - Sergei Aleksashkin
Der Tod Des Dichters - Sergei Aleksashkin
Schulussstuck - Sergei Aleksashkin

Tracks:

I: Allegretto Poco Moderato - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
II: Moderato Con Moto - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
III: Lento-Allegro - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
No.8: Romance - London Philharmonic Orchestra
No.3: Folk Feast - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Moderato - Werner Hink
II: Allegretto - Werner Hink
III: Largo - Werner Hink
IV: Allegro Non Troppo - Werner Hink
I: Largo - Stig Nilsson
II: Allegro - Stig Nilsson
III: Presto - Stig Nilsson

Tracks:

I: Allegretto - Oleg Talipin
II: Moderato - Ludwig Quandt
III: Adagio - Ludwig Quandt
IV: Allegro Non Troppo - Ludwig Quandt

Tracks:

I: Adagio-Allegro Non Troppo-Adagio - Harold Smoliar
II: Allegretto - Harold Smoliar
III: Allegro Non Troppo - Harold Smoliar
IV: Largo - Harold Smoliar
V: Allegretto - Harold Smoliar
Rehersal Sequence - Harold Smoliar

Tracks:

I: Allegro - Per Hannisdal
II: Moderato - Per Hannisdal
III: Presto - Per Hannisdal
IV: Largo - Per Hannisdal
V: Allegretto - Per Hannisdal
I: Moderato - The Philadelphia Orchestra
II: Allegro - The Philadelphia Orchestra
III: Allegretto - The Philadelphia Orchestra
IV: Andante - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Allegro - The Philadelphia Orchestra

Tracks:

I: The Palace Square: Adagio - The Philadelphia Orchestra
II: The Ninth Of January: Allegro - The Philadelphia Orchestra
III: In Memoriam: Adagio - The Philadelphia Orchestra
IV: Tocsin: Allegro Non Troppo - The Philadelphia Orchestra
I: Waltz - The Philadelphia Orchestra
II: Polka - The Philadelphia Orchestra
III: Foxtrot - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Jazz Suite No.2-Waltz - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Tahiti Trot Op.16 - The Philadelphia Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Babi Yar: Adagio - Sergei Aleksashkin
II: Humour: Allegretto - Sergei Aleksashkin
III: In The Store: Adagio - Sergei Aleksashkin
IV: Fears: Adagio - Sergei Aleksashkin
V: A Career: Allegretto - Sergei Aleksashkin

Customer Reviews:

Essential performances of wonderul music.......2007-07-02

This set is a true bargain. The performances are uniformly excellent, as is the recorded sound. The liner notes are informative and well-written. What I particularly like about this set is the variety of orchestras recorded. It's amazing to hear the St. Petersburg orchestra do the Leningrad symphony, with appropriately pungent woodwinds and brass throughout, then switch to the more "mainstream" 10th done with the super-slick Philly orchestra, etc. Jansons makes excellent cases for the lesser-known works, with sharply defined rhythms and consistently excellent balance throughout all works. The works with chorus or solo voices work extremely well. I wish EMI would have included all of Jansons' couplings (the piano concertos w/ Rudy, cello concertos w/ Mork, etc.) to give a truly unprecedented Shostakovich set, but that's a very minor complaint. The price is right here - don't miss this set.

Great Performances - But one defective pressing.......2007-06-26

This set deserves 5 stars based on the performances. But my set contains a CD number 6 that has problems. I arranged for a replacement set from Amazon, but that set had the same poor CD 6. Thus I have concluded that all current CD sets have a defective CD 6. Some players I used could not access the disc. Those that could produced sounds with pops and clicks: sounded like an old LP record. I have written to EMI, but no results so far.

A nice tour of seven orchestras, but the interpretations lack fire.......2007-06-24

I am being a little stingy not granting Jansons' complete Shostakovich cycle four stars, but I can't escape feeling disappointed. Over the long years and many orchestras that have come to pass since he started, Jansons has promised a successor to Haitink's acclaimed Decca cycle with the Concertgebouw and London Phil. of the Eighties. Yet nothing has much improved. I know both cycles fairly well, and Jansons hits no definite home runs. Despite his musical pedigree -- both Mariss and his father Arvid were associated with Mravinsky and the Leningrad Phil.--Jansons tends to be more cautious and even faceless compared to Haitink, who is no firebrand.

I cant' argue with admirers who point to the fine execution and excellent balances, the discipline and the good engineering here. But Shostakovich needs fire and inspiration to overcome his weaknesses, which are severe. The music often sprawls, relies on banal themes, dips into depressive melancholy, or at the other extreme indulges in insincrere jollity that seems politically motivated. Whatever your position on these issues, Shostakovich is an enigma looking for someone to unlock it. As steady and purposeful as these readings are, I don't think Jansons holds that key.

If I were collecting the fifteen symphonies individually, which is still the best way, I'd go for the relatively unknown ones from Jansons, such as #2, #3, and #4, which bring out the best in him. He doesn't excel at the famous Fifth and is middle-of-the-road in the Sixth and Seventh (his live Seventh with the Concertgebouw is another story--I would place it among the very best). At a high standard but not keeping up with the legendary Mravinsky are Jansons' Eighth, Nintth, and Tenth. I don't much care what happens in the windy Eleventh and Twelfth, but the final trio, #13-15, greatly interest me. In these works I found Jansons steady and reliable but not riveting or inspired.

On the whole, then, this is a consistent cycle that keeps up with Haitink's without cresting over it.

Shastakovich at his best.......2007-01-10

Great collection of the Shostakovich symphonies. Recording is clear; orchestra is dynamic. Great program notes, too. One of the best recordings of #15 that I have heard in a while.

Amazing Cycle of Shostakovich Symphonies.......2006-09-14

Mariss Jansons and various orchestras have finally completed a noteworthy and valuable Shostakovich symphonic cycle just in time for Dmitri's Century birthday year. I have to be the first to say that I love the cycle. Performances from 1988-2005, these really are arguable definitive recordings of the works. At first, I was skeptical of the Jansons cycle because I myself was a little disappointed with his Tchaikovsky cycle with the Oslo Philharmonic. But having studied with great shostakovich conductors seem to really add something to all of his performances whether its the 1st symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic, the 8th with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, or the incomporable 11th with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It certainly demonstrates that Jansons is a man of many talents if he can whip any orchestra into shape.

I definitely think this cycle outshines Bernard Haitink's late 70's early 80's performances with the RCO/LPO. I also would go far as to say that they are on par with Jarvi's cycle with RSNO/GSO. Rudolf Barshai also produced a cycle in the 80's with the West German Symphony and its also quite good, but again, I feel as though Jansons benefits by first rate orchestras and suporior sound quality.

In short - its quite an achievement, and I await further recordings from a first rate conductor.

Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Kondrashin (11 CD Set)

Average customer rating:

Kondrashin's Shostakovich

Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Kondrashin (11 CD Set)

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Becket

ASIN: B000P733I4

Product Description

Dmitri Shostakovich. Complete Symphonies. CD 1 Symphony No.1 in F minor, Op.10 1 1. Alegretto. Allegro non troppo 2 2. Allegro 3 3. Lento 4 4. Allegro molto etc... 5 Symphony No.2 in B major, Op.14 "To October" 6 Symphony No.3 for Orchestra and Choir in E flat major, Op.20 "The First of May" Russian State Choral Chapel Alexander Yurlov, Choirmaster (5,6) Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin, Conductor Recorded in 1972 TT=75:22 CD 2 Symphony No.4 in C minor, Op.43 1 1. Allegretto poco moderato 2 2. Moderato con moto 3 3. Largo 4 "October". Symphonic poem, Op.131 Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin, Conductor Recorded in 1966 (1-3), 1967 (4) TT=72:45 CD 3 Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 1 1. Moderato 2 2. Allegretto 3 3. Largo 4 4. Allegro non troppo Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.54 5 1. Largo 6 2. Allegro 7 3. Presto Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin, Conductor Recorded in 1967 TT=68:27 CD 4 Symphony No.7 in C major, Op.60 Leningrad 1 1. Allegretto 2 2. Moderato (poco allegretto) 3 3. Adagio 4 4. Allegro non troppo Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin, Conductor Recorded in 1975 TT=71:10 CD 5 Symphony No.8 in C minor, Op.65 1 1. Adagio 2 2. Allegretto 3 3. Allegro non troppo 4 4. Largo 5 5. Allegretto 6 The Sun Shines on Our Motherland. Cantata, Op.90 Boys Choir of Moscow Choral College Russian State Choral Chapel Alexander Yurlov, Choirmaster (6) Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Kirill Kondrashin, Conductor Recorded in 1967 TT=68:43 CD 6 Symphony No.9 in E flat major, Op.70 1 1. Allegro 2 2. Moderato 3 3. Presto 4 4. Largo 5 5. Allegretto Symphony No.10 in E minor, Op.93 6 1. Moderato 7 2. Allegro 8 3. Allegretto 9 4. Andante. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Kondrashin's Shostakovich.......2007-04-18

I have previously reviewed the Melodiya set of the Shostakovich Symphonies conducted by Kirill Kondrashin that were issued by Audos. This set was re-mastered in the late 1990's while this new set was re-mastered from the original tapes for the Shostakovich centennial last year. This set also includes all of the Kondrashin/Shostakovich recordings that include The Execution of Stepan Razin, the symphonic poem October, The Second Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh (for whom the concerto was dedicated) and the cantata The Sun Is Shining Over Our Motherland. The total discs in the set are greater by one and the symphonies are arranged chronologically with the additional works as fill-ups.

The sound on this new set is an improvement over the prior set and is much clearer. Distortions have been markedly reduced (the louder moments in Stepan Razin remain affected). The accompanying booklet contains a good in-depth discussion of all of the works in the set but it does not have, like the earlier set, any of the texts. Each CD is in a cardboard sleeve that has different woodcut illustrations on the face with a complete description of the contents on the CD, including timings, on the reverse. The CDs are held in a flimsy cardboard box that is certain to become slightly crushed or bent in one place or another. I would have preferred a hard case as with the older Kondrashin set. Despite the poor packaging the trade off with the new set is better sound and the complete recordings of Shostakovich from Maestro Kondrashin. If you are interested in Shostakovich's music, especially by a conductor who worked with him, then this is a must have set.

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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.

Average customer rating:

Must-have performances and an unbelievable bargain
A Terrific Symphonic Journey
INTERPRETATIONS

Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Dvorak: Complete Symphonies
Mahler: Symphony Nos. 10 (Reconstruction Barshai) & 5
Shostakovich: Complete Concertos
Prokofiev: 7 Symphonies; Lieutenant Kijé

ASIN: B0002IQEGY
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Customer Reviews:

Must-have performances and an unbelievable bargain.......2006-02-16

This set is just spectacular! The rule of thumb is that in every box set of symphonies there are good performances along with a few weak links. Well, this box set is the exception. I have listened to each of these performances at least 5 times, and I can confidentally say that each and every performance can easily compete with anything recorded by mravinsky, rozhdestvensky, bernstein, haitink or jarvi. In addition to the vivacious yet intelligent direction by Barshai, I must also point the West-German Radio Symphony Orchestra. They are truly a first-rate orchestra and their playing throughout each of these performances is beyond praise. Strings able to be soft as silk or hard as granite, piercing, colorful woodwinds, powerful, weighty brass, and an alive and alert percussion section. I must particularly point out the tam-tam. One usually doesn't point out the tam-tam amongst the instruments of the orchestra, but this orchestra has one of the best sounding tam-tams I've ever heard(so crucial in many climactic moments of these works), capable of making tons of differents sonorities, whether it be big and splashy or deep and rumbling. The performances range from really good to magnificent. I must single out the performance the 13th. It is simply jawdropping in its intensity. Unquestionably the finest ever recorded, even better than the new Jansons recording on EMI. I could ramble on and on about the special insights of each individual performance but here's the bottom line: If you are looking to acquire all the symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich inexpensively in idiomatic performances in good digital sound, Barshai and the West German Radio Symphony are your guides. Stop reading this review and order this set now!

A Terrific Symphonic Journey.......2005-02-12

I usually do not buy complete sets such as this one of all of the Shostakovich symphonies. What intrigued me and also convinced me to buy this set is the conductor Rudolf Barshai. Maestro Barshai enjoyed a close association with Dimitri Shostakovich and premiered his Fourteenth Symphony. It is his close connection with Shostakovich that made me want to hear his approach to all of the symphonies.

The First Symphony is a delight, well-phrased and nicely balanced. The less familiar Second and Third Symphonies (both using a chorus) are nicely played. The Fourth Symphony comes off very well and reminds me of the old LP premiere recording conducted by Kiril Kondrashin. Maestro Barshai's recording may lack the intensity of the recent recording by Valery Gergiev and the Kirov but the playing by the WDR Symphony Orchestra is certainly well phrased and very responsive to the demands of the composer.

The Fifth Symphony has no end of excellent recordings, and the Barshai recording can be counted among them. Most noticeable for me was the care taken with phrasing and tempos. The scherzo emphasizes the connection with the music of Mahler and the Largo is allowed to plumb the depths. The finale is heroic and ends with a slow tempo, as it should, and not the bombastic ending sometimes played. We should remember that at the premiere the audience wept at this point: the triumph is forced. The reading is as fresh and dramatic as one would want. The Sixth Symphony opens with a brooding first movement, the mood of which is nicely captured. The contrasting Allegro and Presto movements are charming and exuberant, again splendidly played.

The Seventh Symphony is given broad tempos so the symphony lasts for over 71 minutes; the measured reading stresses the drama of the score, particularly in the first movement, rather than battle music. The Eight is also played with expansive tempos that accentuate the brooding quality of the music. The difficult Allegretto and Allegro no troppo movements are nicely played with nice articulation by the brass in the latter. The Largo is a somber and gray with the Finale nicely but momentarily breaking the gloom before the angry outburst of rage from the orchestra send us back to the mood of the first movement: a very nice performance.

The Ninth is played with the boisterous spirit intended of the symphony and the monumental Tenth is exceptional. The music is very well played, even with all of the excellent recordings of the symphony available the Barshai would stand among the best. The Moderato movement is played at a good tempo but is not rushed. Mravinsky was the only conductor I know of who set such a fast and furious tempo, dispatching the movement in 4 minutes. The last movement is glorious to hear and brings the symphony to an exciting close. The Eleventh (dedicated to the Revolution of 1905) is yet another, of what has become ubiquitous in describing this set, well performed symphony. Maestro Barshai takes great care with this highly descriptive music creating a palpable sound picture of the Palace Square and Bloody Sunday.

The Twelfth Symphony was something Shostakovich was embarrassed about, written quickly around the time he became an official Communist Party member. The symphony was a demonstration piece of "official" party music, hence the dedication to Lenin and the Revolution of 1917. The Tweleth has been considered the weakest of Shostakovich's symphonies and although Barshai does his best he can't cover the weaknesses of this symphony. The Thirteenth (Babi Yar) is a different matter: well-played and sung by Sergei Aleksaskin. The Fourteenth was given its premiere by Maestro Barshai and the performance here is superb. The soloists Alla Simoni and Vladimir Vaneev are wonderful and the intensity of the orchestra is perfect. The Fifteenth Symphony is also played to perfection bringing out the humor and drama of this enigmatic music.

There are 11CDs in this set with the symphonies from the Eleventh on occupying a single disc. The number of discs could have been reduced but this would have meant breaking up some symphonies on more than one disc. So each symphony is completed on its CD. The sound is crystal clear and the balance excellent with all of the solo instruments being clearly heard. I was not familiar with the Brilliant Classics label prior to this set; they have done an admirable job recording these symphonies. Each CD comes with its own liner notes but none of the texts (for symphonies 2, 3, 13 and 14) are included. The poems set in Babi Yar and the Fourteenth Symphonies are particularly important so one must resort to other recordings for the words. In sum, Maestro Barshai aims for fluent and lucid readings of these symphonies; each receives a solid well-considered performance. So while this set will not displace any of my single recordings it is a rewarding journey through Shostakovich's symphonies.

INTERPRETATIONS.......2004-10-02

As a rule I avoid complete sets. I own performances of all the symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Sibelius, for instance, but selected individually. Shostakovich seems to me a slightly different case. His music appears to me to be something of a diary of his feelings, and when it came to his string quartets I found it helpful to listen to them in sequence played by the same group, so I have taken the same approach now with his symphonies. These are a more complex issue than the quartets are, because there were external influences, to put it mildly, on the content of the symphonies. He had to dance a grim paso doble with the Soviet authorities regarding these, and even without that he lived through a grisly era that is to some extent recorded in the symphonies through his own volition. I've also taken the view that a detailed assessment of 15 symphonies on 11 discs, including individual comparisons with other versions, is beyond the scope of a short review. All I would say in general is that there is not a bad performance in all this large set, and that Barshai's readings at least stand comparison with other first-class readings of individual symphonies that I have heard recently from Haitink, Previn, Karajan, Andrew Davis and Rozhdestvensky. Barshai was the composer's pupil, he gave the premiere of the 14th symphony, he was intimately associated with this music all his life, he understands it with the marrow of his bones, and I can recommend his set unreservedly to anyone wanting to gain a better insight into the life's work of this grand and gloomy 20th century master.

Open any book or article on Shostakovich and you will reliably find a lot of comment on WWII, on Leningrad, on Stalin, on Zhdanov and on conditions in the Soviet Union. What one normally has to search hard for is much enlightening comment on the music itself. Anything said about that is usually along perfunctory lines about symphonic allegros and sonata form and the like. The trouble set in with Beethoven. Comment on Beethoven tends to be long on his personal struggles and triumphs, but the music does at least get a decent innings from the commentators. Beecham complained that Beethoven was the first to take away from music its natural idiom and expression. Put less provocatively, it could be said that Beethoven imported into music personal emotion that is external to the music as such. This developed in two ways. One was via Wagner's music-drama, the other was via Liszt and symphonic poems in which purely instrumental music was made to represent or evoke elements external to the music, and Shostakovich stands at the end of this second line. (There was actually a third way, represented by Brahms who really turned his back on this whole aspect of Beethoven's legacy whatever they tell us to the contrary, but that is another story). I find that one problem in understanding Shostakovich is that the commentators in general talk about his biography and about Soviet history under the impression that they are talking about the music. You will find the dilemma (or trilemma) illustrated beautifully here in Dr Doughty's notes on the first movement of the 4th symphony - `...although it cannot be related to traditional sonata form, it is an amazing tour de force ranging from the triumphs of the new industrialisation of the Soviet Union to the sadness of the Russian soul.' I can see how music can range from triumph to sadness, but I can't see how music can range from or to industrialisation to or from anything whatsoever, nor can I see what any of this has to do with sonata form nor indeed what sonata form matters to start with. The music of Shostakovich always seems to be telling us something, but in the first place it is not easy to be sure what. We can grasp the general mood, but the specifics are harder. The only person who can enlighten us reliably on those is the composer himself, should he choose to. There are three completely different accounts from him regarding what the 7th symphony is about, in my view they are not compatible, and I conclude from that that we ought to shift the focus back from this kind of thing on to the actual music, which after all is pretty commanding stuff. There is a movement in symphony 12 that purportedly evokes Lenin's headquarters, for instance. Now I know what the music of headquarters sounds like I suppose, but I find the movement in question means more to me without that concept, and indeed I believe that headquarters are as unmusical a concept as hindquarters.

These 15 symphonies are the story of a great and anguished soul who expressed his grief, fear and outrage through music. After the first 3 symphonies the tone is of almost unrelieved gloom and bitterness, the occasional lighter stretches having about them the feel of `if I didn't laugh I would weep'. Symphonies 13 and 14 suggest to me that he had wrung these emotions dry, and symphony 15 seems a self-parodistic farewell to the whole symphonic scene. These dark emotions are voiced in a music of almost brutal power, without any great sense of development in the actual idiom but with a grim consistency that is easier to follow than the chameleon-like changes of style in his concertos. I'm interested to know what lay behind its composition, but I'm content also to leave the details of that unresolved. Barshai is an expert Virgil taking us through this dark world, the recording is very good (with notable clarity from the voices) and the whole experience is available for a very modest outlay if we feel up to it.

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Complete Shostakovich Symphonies

Manufacturer: Supraphon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD)
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ASIN: B000I8OIHK
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Rudolf Barshai (11 CD Set)

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Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Rudolf Barshai (11 CD Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
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ASIN: B000PDKTEE

Product Description

Dmitry Shostakovich CD 1 Symphony No. 1 in F minor Op. 10 Symphony No. 2 in B major Op. 14 Symphony No. 3 in E flat major Op. 20 CD 2 Symphony No. 4 in C minor Op. 43 CD 3 Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op. 47 Symphony No. 6 in B minor Op. 54 CD 4 Symphony No. 7 in C major Op. 60 "Leningrad" CD 5 Symphony No. 8 in C minor Op. 65 CD 6 Symphony No. 9 in E flat major Op. 70 Symphony No. 10 in E minor Op. 93 CD 7 Symphony No. 11 in G minor Op. 103 "The year 1905" CD 8 Symphony No. 12 in D minor Op. 112 "The year 1917" "To the Memory of Lenin" CD 9 Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor for Bass, Chorus & Orchestra Op. 113, "Babi Yar" CD 10 Symphony No. 14, for Soprano, Bass, Strings & Percussion. Op. 135 CD 11 Symphony No. 15 in A major Op. 141 WDR Sinfonieorchester, Rudolf Barshai

Shostakovich The Complete Symphonies [Hybrid SACD]

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Caetani: Complete Shostakovich Syms: Brilliant, Funny, Etched, Mimed, Sung
A Very Different Take on Shostakovich

Shostakovich The Complete Symphonies [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Arts Music
ProductGroup: Music
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Shostakovich: The Symphonies [Hybrid SACD] [Box Set]
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Barber: Toccata Festiva
Mahler: Symphony No. 1; Blumine [Hybrid SACD]
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ASIN: B000HXDH96
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Customer Reviews:

Caetani: Complete Shostakovich Syms: Brilliant, Funny, Etched, Mimed, Sung.......2007-01-14

The complete recorded set of any composer's works runs risks.

On the plus side, we may get a chance to hear a discerning musical mind with a deep heart as the performer approaches the mind and heart of the composer. Assuming sufficiently high level musical capacities, this encounter may strike sparks off the anvil of the effort on which the precious metals of the music is laid out - for performer plus composer - plus for us as listeners. One assumes that almost any performer who bothers to attempt the whole of a composer's output must be engaged in a labor of love, or why else bother?

On the minus side, we may grow tired of hearing too much of the same interpretative approach, before we have finished ticking off the performance list. What sounds discerning and interesting in one or a few of the works may start to reveal subtle limits and shallows as work after work is given.

At best, complete performance series have been powerful and revelatory. Not for nothing did Artur Schnabel get away with playing all the Beethoven piano sonatas as a recital cycle. Hearing yet again how the composer changed and survived and grew, well that may help us change and survive and grow, too. Reaching for such great compass probably works best for the composers who were also great humans - but then, isn't that part of why we still play and still listen?

Here we meet a conductor, a young Italian orchestra of considerable gifts and reputation, the gnarly and substantial composer who managed to write music equal to a profoundly complicated life in a crazy-making political and cultural situation, and ourselves as we listen.

First off. The multichannel super audio sound is all that high resolution recording is supposed to be. There is probably little lacking in these full-frequency carriers, even if you are playing the regular red book stereo CD layer of these discs; but the SACD multiple channels do what they are increasingly doing these days - showing us what 16-bit and two channels lack. There is nothing thin or brash or harsh or flat about the sound, then. These are live recordings, and the audience's applause at the end of each symphony will remind you of that - but otherwise the audience is attentive and unobtrusive - so that perhaps their rapt attention will help inspire your own as you listen.

Given the color and parry and dash of Shostakovich's orchestrations, the superaudio sound matters because the musical textures are so quicksilver. In a few brief moments one may find the band going from full tilt exultation or complaint, to strange chamber-textured episodes which almost seem to float disembodied like those human dissociative experiences triggered by battle stress or interrogation under duress, threat, and torture. Sudden musical openings disclose just that human mind and heart that is no longer supposed to exist among the battled weary and the tortured detainees, usually but not always via melody steeped in Russian folk harmonies (tweaked by sharply anguished or witty reminiscences of musical modernity - Stravinsky, Mahler, Bartok, jazz).

This is a lot to take in, musically speaking. Having state of the art high resolution sound, speaking across multiple channels, surely helps.

The Russian roots that inform these performances are not obvious, not worn on the sleeves of our available information.

Take the conductor, Oleg Caetani, for starters.

He is the son of famed Russian conductor, Igor Markevitch. But he doesn't trade on his father's fame or name, preferring to use his maternal family. After starting his studies in Rome, he finished up at the St. Petersburg conservator where he let himself steep in the great Russian musical traditions flowing from the likes of Yevgeny Mravinsky. One mentor was the founder of the Moscow Philharmonic, Kyril Kondrashin. Both Mravsinky and Kondrashin premiered new symphonies by the composer.

Winning the Karajan competition at the age of 26 years helped bring Caetani to wider attention. No less a figure than Nadia Boulanger mentored him, and helped talk him up among world-class musical circles.

None of this charged heritage screams too loud on the surface. Yet, nevertheless, Maestro Caetani seems to be bringing all of this complex Russian-Italian-French heritage to his way with the composer. The first impression is a rock-solid, precipitous façade of tremendous technical brilliance for all of these symphonies. Add in a remarkable sense of the deeps beneath all the obvious skin of things we live, and live through - sometimes fierce, sometimes sensuous, sometimes self-mocking. The maestro and his players freely apply lavish doses of unstinting musical attention to all the small musical and expressive details, and in the end, the band in Milan holds its own grip on Shostakovich, letting details and flow build up to large, shattering musical symphonic gestures.

Something of the relentless exactitude for which we justly honored the great Italian conductor, Toscanini, has also come to rest in this new, young Italian orchestra in Milan, perhaps helped along by Ricardo Chailly's leadership as music director since 1999. If you think of their namesake, Giuseppe Verdi, then, think about Verdi as played under Toscanini. Founded by Russian exile conductor, Vladimir Delman, the band has its own real heritage and history of true Russian roots.

I wanted to like the latest SACD series in progress from Rostropovich/LSO. But what may well be working in those live London performances often seems misshapen and flabby, later in high resolution sound. The almost imperceptible start of his Symphony 11, for example, might have gained traction in the hall, but it drifts, just out of reach, via my home speakers.

The Shostakovich symphonies are so wide, so kaleidoscopic in their manifestations that I haven't finished making friends with all of them. Yet. Like Mahler, the whole series of fifteen takes some listener's work, some due amount of time.

Caetani and players do well in the ones I already know. I look forward to the others. Five star-sapphires, then.

A Very Different Take on Shostakovich.......2007-01-04

Sets of the complete Shostakovich symphonies are not lacking certainly but the new Caetani set takes its place among the few that are worth owning. Having owned at various times the complete Shostakovich symphonies by Haitink, Jansons, Barshai, Rostropovich and Rozhdestvensky and countless individual performances by Bernstein, Rowicki, Skrowaczewski, Inbal, Andrew Davis, Ancerl, Chung, Previn, Ormandy and others including a few by Gergiev (briefly), Caetani's and Jansons' cycles are to me the most satisfying yet with the Caetani marginally better. This opinion will certainly be seen as heretical by those who revere the cycles by Barshai and Rostropovich, but that is at it should be. For individual recordings of Shostakovich symphonies my favorites are Rowicki and Jansons (BBC Welsh Orchestra) in #1; Ormandy, Previn and Chung in #4; Bernstein, Skrowaczewski and Rowicki in #5; Chung, Jansons and Bernstein in #6; Bernstein/Chicago and the Jansons/Concertgebouw in #7; Rozhdestvensky and Previn in #8; Bernstein & Jansons in #9; Andrew Davis, Jansons, de Preist & Skrowaczewski in #10: Jansons in #11, etc - yet there are none of the above that I find significantly better or at all better than Caetani's reading of the same symphony and in some instances I prefer his reading to any other I've heard - #6, #11, #12 - for example. This may all change when and if Jansons rethinks the entire Shostakovich symphonic canon with the Concertgebouw - compare for example his St. Petersburg #7 on EMI with his recent, near Mahlerian #7 with the Concertgebouw - but it may not given that the aubible influence of Mahler on Shostakovich is one of the high points of Caetani's readings.

Shostakovich: Symphonies (Complete), Vol. 2 (Box Set)

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Shostakovich: Symphonies (Complete), Vol. 2 (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegro
Moderato
Presto
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Adagio
Allegretto
Allegro Non Troppo
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegro
Allegretto
Andante: Allegro

Tracks:

The Palace Square
The 9th Of January
In Memoriam
The Tocsin

Tracks:

Babi Yar
Humor
At The Store
Fears
Career

Tracks:

De Profundis - Magdalena Hajossyova
Malaguena - Magdalena Hajossyova
Loreley - Magdalena Hajossyova
The Suicide - Magdalena Hajossyova
On The Alert - Magdalena Hajossyova
Look Here, Madame! - Magdalena Hajossyova
At The Sante Jail - Magdalena Hajossyova
Zaporozhye Cossacks Reply To The Sultan Of Constantinople - Magdalena Hajossyova
O Delvig, Delvig! - Magdalena Hajossyova
The Poet's Death - Magdalena Hajossyova
Conclusion - Magdalena Hajossyova

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Shostakovich: Symphonies (Complete), Vol. 2 (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rough-Edged, but Compelling

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies
Dmitri Shostakovich , Ladislav Slovak , and Czecho-Slovak Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Naxos
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Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: The String Quartets

ASIN: B00005QISC
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

Allegretto - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Allegro - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Lento - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Allegro Molto - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Allegretto-Allegro-Andante-Allegro-Largo-Moderato - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus

Tracks:

Symphony No.2 In B Major, Op.14 'October' - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Allegretto - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Adagio - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Allegretto - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Adagio - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus

Tracks:

Allegretto Poco Moderato
Moderato Con Moto
Largo-Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegro
Moderato
Presto
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Largo
Allegro
Presto
Revolutionary Petrograd
Razliv
Aurora
Dawn Of Humanity

Tracks:

Allegretto
Moderato (Poco Allegretto)
Adagio
Allegro Non Troppo

Tracks:

Adagio
Allegretto
Allegro Non Troppo
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegro
Allegretto
Andante: Allegro

Tracks:

The Palace Square
The 9th Of January
In Memoriam
The Tocsin

Tracks:

Babi Yar - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Yumor (Humor) - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
V Magazinye (At The Store) - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Strakhi (Fears) - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Karyera (Career) - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus

Tracks:

De Profundis - Magdalena Hajossyova
Malaguena - Magdalena Hajossyova
Loreley - Magdalena Hajossyova
The Suicide - Magdalena Hajossyova
On The Alert - Magdalena Hajossyova
Look Here, Madame! - Magdalena Hajossyova
At The Sante Jail - Magdalena Hajossyova
Zzaporozhye Cossacks' Reply To The Sultan Of Constantinople - Magdalena Hajossyova
O Delvig, Delvig! - Magdalena Hajossyova
The Poet's Death - Magdalena Hajossyova
Conclusion - Magdalena Hajossyova

Amazon.com

Newly repackaged in a space-saving, super-bargain box, the Naxos Shostakovich cycle may entice shoppers looking to acquire the 15 symphonies cheaply and all at once. Certain performances are better than others. The First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 10th, and 12th require more dynamism and heft than the Czecho-Slovak Symphony Orchestra give Ladislav Slovák, notwithstanding marvelous first-desk solos. By contrast, the caustic wit and slippery chamberlike qualities of Nos. 9 and 15 are expertly realized. Bass Peter Mikulas and soprano Magdaléna Hajóssyová enliven and brilliantly characterize texts in the two "song symphonies," Nos. 13 and 14. Slovák, in turn, revels in the disjunctive sound worlds of the Second and Third, and traverses the Fourth, Seventh, Eighth, and 11th with an eagle-eyed overview of their sprawling canvasses. You shouldn't be without key individual recordings like Bernstein's 1959 New York Philharmonic Fifth, Berglund's 11th, or Haitink's 13th, and Rudolf Barshai's bargain cycle on Brilliant Classics offers greater sonic impact and more personalized conducting. Still and all, the present set's finest moments are worth the modest investment. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Rough-Edged, but Compelling.......2002-03-07

I like this set. I'm not about to claim that it's perfectly played or beautiful to listen to; Inbal on Denon, Haitink on Decca and Rostropovich on Teldec all command better - and more opulent sounding - orchestras than the Slovak Radio Symphony. But there is a certain raw honesty about these Naxos performances that I find tremendously appealing. The Shostakovich symphonies, after all is said, aren't 'haute cuisine' music. They reflect some of humankind's ugliest experiences and their beauties always come packaged in scar tissue. For that reason, I've always enjoyed the 'rough and ready' Shostakovich played by east european and Russian orchestras: the performances just seem more truthful. That's the case here, although I intend no disrespect toward Inbal, Haitink and Rostropovich (especially the latter who was, of course, a great friend of the composer). But Ladislav Slovak has his own Shostakovich credentials and they are solid. He worked in the 1950s with the great Yevgeny Mravinsky at the Leningrad Philharmonic when it was one of the world's greatest orchestras. Mravinsky was one of Shostakovich's favorite conductors and he performed most of these symphonies, some for the first time, and many under Shostakovich's direct supervision. So Slovak saw a lot and up close. Nevertheless, Slovak's performances aren't slavish copies of Mravinsky. He has his own ideas. For example, listen to the richly barbed irony Slovak projects in symphonies 1 and 9, or how well he conveys eloquence, without pomposity, in the problematic 7th ('Leningrad') symphony. Or listen to Slovak's tight and cogent performances of two of Shostakovich's most fascinatingly diffuse scores, symphonies 4 and 11 ("The Year 1905"). In short, Slovak is never less than thought-provoking and if his orchestra were better, I think his achievement would be more widely acclaimed. As it is, the orchestra plays quite competently, with particularly alert and characterful woodwinds (usually; they miscalculate the magical opening of the last movement of Symphony 13). If the orchestra suffers from a consistent fault, it's that there aren't enough strings to sound comfortable playing "above the stave," as the British say. No matter; the imagination, intensity & spirit of these performances are what count with me. In fact, I think there's only one out-and-out failure in the set: a performance of Symphony 12 that's just too slow and heavy, making a tedious piece seem even more tedious than usual. (Mravinsky played this symphony at breakneck speed; surely the only way to make it endurable!) I wish I could say that the digital sound quality is consistently fine, but it varies too much from performance to performance. It's never less than good, but variable. Still, don't get me wrong: warts and all, this set's a real bargain. Eleven (11) cds come packaged in a compact box with an extensive booklet that includes full texts and translations. Final word: cheap without quality is false economy. In spite of the shortcomings I've mentioned, there's real quality here.

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