Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 6 & No. 10

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
You may think Texas is an unlikely place to deliver first-rate recordings of Shostakovichian angst, but these are outstanding performances. The Dallas Symphony plays at the highest level and its wind players, especially, deliver their many solo bits with panache. Litton's stylistic mastery of the Shostakovich style is evident in the way he maintains tension in the long slow movements and the sardonic brio with which he tackles the faster ones. His Allegro movement of the 10th, supposedly a bitter portrait of Stalin, has the requisite vicious bite, and he invests the work's finale with a joyous sense of liberation. In the Sixth, the long opening Largo, more than half the symphony's length, is as harrowing as any on record. Outstanding sonics help seal a strong recommendation. --Dan Davis

Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 6 & No. 10, Music, Dmitry Shostakovich, Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, 20th/21st Century Symphony, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Miscellaneous, Orchestral & Symphonic, Symphonic
Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • 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

SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Rostropovich, MstislavRostropovich, Mstislav | ( R ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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  3. Mahler: The Complete Symphonies
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  5. Prokofiev, Shostakovich: Violin Concertos no 1 / Rostropovich, Vengerov

ASIN: B000005824
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Allegretto
  2. Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Allegro
  3. Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 10: Lento
  4. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegro molto
  5. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegro
  6. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Moderato
  7. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Presto
  8. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Largo
  9. Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegretto

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Adagio - Allegro non troppo
  2. Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegretto
  3. Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegro non troppo
  4. Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Largo
  5. Symphony No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 65: Allegretto

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Allegretto
  2. Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Adagio - Largo - Adagio - Largo
  3. Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: Allegretto
  4. 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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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

2 out of 5 stars 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...

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars fine.......2000-03-17

Sorry,I cannot write or speak English well.
For the Wine Connoisseur
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		For the Wine Connoisseur

    Manufacturer: Decca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0006VXMJY
    Release Date: 2005-01-11

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro Assai - I Musici
    2. Canon In D - Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
    3. The Arrival Of The Queen of Sheba - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
    4. Rondeau - Simon Preston
    5. Minuet - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
    6. Air On A G String - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
    7. Allegro - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
    8. Preludio - Henryk Szeryng
    9. Allegro - English Chamber Orchestra
    10. Tempo Di Valse - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
    11. Barcarolle - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
    12. Waltz II - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
    13. Bolero - Boston Symphony Orchestra
    Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Good, but not the best methods for bass trombonists
    • Mulcahy Rocks, Reynolds is Hilarious!
    • Very Helpful
    • A perfecrt resource...almost!
    		 Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet

    Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000038JV
    Release Date: 1995-07-18

    Tracks:

    1. Bass Trbn: Sarabande in c - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    2. Bass Trbn: Till Eulenspeigel, Zarathustra, Ein Heldenleben - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    3. Bass Trbn: Miraculous Mandarin/Sym No.9/Vn Con - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    4. Bass Trbn: Hungarian March, Rome And Juliet - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    5. Bass Trbn: Sym No.1 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    6. Bass Trbn: Sym No.7/Sym in d - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    7. Bass Trbn: The Creation/Hary Janos - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    8. Bass Trbn: Syms No.5, 6, 7, 9 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    9. Bass Trbn: Pictures/Romeo And Juliet/Pines Of Rome/Gazza Ladra - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    10. Bass Trbn: Sym No.3 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    11. Bass Trbn: Sym No.5 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    12. Bass Trbn: Lohengrin, Ride Of Valkyries - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
    13. Bass Tpt: Intro - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    14. Bass Tpt: Das Rheingold - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    15. Bass Tpt: Die Walkure - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    16. Bass Tpt: Siegfried - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    17. Bass Tpt: Die Gotterdammerung - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    18. Tenor Tuba: Bydlo - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    19. Tenor Tuba: Sym No.7 - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    20. Tenor Tuba: Don Quixote - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    21. Tenor Tuba: Ein Heldenleben - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
    22. Tenor Tuba: The Planets - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Good, but not the best methods for bass trombonists.......2007-07-05

    After listening to the excerpts, I recognized Jeffrey Reynolds' perspective. He is an experienced player, but some of his advice is not as practical as it seems. For the Franck excerpt, common orchestral practice is to play the f-sharp as written: it is an applicable range study and should be kept intact. The Schumann excerpt is not played as written also, and should be taken literally in the context that it was written. Mr. Reynolds' approach to Wagner is interesting, especially to Die Walkure. It's not for everyone, but it may be beneficial to some. The Kodaly is well presented, as well as the Mahler, Berg, and Strauss excerpts. All things considered, it is a decent aide for study, but should not be seen as a "this is how it must be done" collection of excerpts.

    3 out of 5 stars Mulcahy Rocks, Reynolds is Hilarious!.......2006-10-26

    Okay, for anyone seriously interested in what NOT to do in an audition, make sure to listen to Reynolds on this disc. There's a reason this CD is infamous, and he's the reason. Even his advice is pretty awful. Take part of the D Major down an octave because the commitee won't notice? Hah! That kills me every time.

    Mulcahy rocks on this, though. Just listen to the VAlhalla theme and tell me he's not a monster.

    Then, go back and listen to Reynolds play Ein Heldenleben with 'oblique intonation' and 'questionable sound' and roll on the floor for a while.

    5 out of 5 stars Very Helpful.......2006-05-27

    This CD was very helpful for me, a student bass trombonist. The CD enables you to not only hear the exerpt, but also listen to what the performer says about it and how it should be played. Mr. Reynolds, as well as Mr. Mulcahy played the exerpts beautifully.

    3 out of 5 stars A perfecrt resource...almost!.......2000-08-02

    The Orchestra Pro series are a very useful tool to student musicians trying to get a grasp on how the major symphonic excerpts should be played. More useful, however is the spoken commentary, which resembles a one on one lesson with the performer. The bass trumpet and tenor tuba excerpts are played beautifully by Mulcahy. The bass trombone playing or Reynolds often leaves the listener wondering if he could not have done a slightly better job on some of the excerpts. All in all this CD is a great resource for those trying to get their foot in the door of the orchestral music scene.
    Schostakowitsch; Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Superb performances and sound
    		 Schostakowitsch; Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6

    Manufacturer: Berlin Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    1. Schostakowitsch: Symphony No. 10

    ASIN: B0000035QO
    Release Date: 1994-11-29

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Superb performances and sound.......2004-02-26

    Conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic from 1941-60, Kurt Sanderling was a colleague of Shostakovich and is sensitive to the genius of these symphonies, which are not as well known as the 5th, 10th, or the "war" symphonies (7&8). This is a good bet if you want 1&6 together, well-played and well-recorded, as would be any of Sanderling's Shostakovich symphony recordings. His take on the 15th symphony is supposed to be particularly rewarding. These Berlin recordings were from 1983 for the 1st, and 1979 for the 6th. The digital remastering is superb. The booklet features excellent background info on Shostakovich's writing of the 1st and 6th symphonies, and there is a timeline of the conductor's life & career.
    Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 6 & No. 10
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Shostakovich: Symphonies 6 & 10
    • An outstanding interpretation....
    • Good, but...
    • Brilliant Performance!!
    		 Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 6 & No. 10

    Manufacturer: Delos Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    2. Shostakovich: Symphonies #3 '1st of May' & #14 - Mariss Jansons, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    3. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 12
    4. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
    5. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13

    ASIN: B00005M95V
    Release Date: 2001-07-03

    Tracks:

    1. Sym No.10 in e, Op.93: Moderato
    2. Sym No.10 in e, Op.93: Allegro
    3. Sym No.10 in e, Op.93: Allegretto
    4. Sym No.10 in e, Op.93: Andante - Allegro
    5. Sym No.6 in b, Op.54: Largo
    6. Sym No.6 in b, Op.54: Allegro
    7. Sym No.6 in b, Op.54: Presto

    Amazon.com

    You may think Texas is an unlikely place to deliver first-rate recordings of Shostakovichian angst, but these are outstanding performances. The Dallas Symphony plays at the highest level and its wind players, especially, deliver their many solo bits with panache. Litton's stylistic mastery of the Shostakovich style is evident in the way he maintains tension in the long slow movements and the sardonic brio with which he tackles the faster ones. His Allegro movement of the 10th, supposedly a bitter portrait of Stalin, has the requisite vicious bite, and he invests the work's finale with a joyous sense of liberation. In the Sixth, the long opening Largo, more than half the symphony's length, is as harrowing as any on record. Outstanding sonics help seal a strong recommendation. --Dan Davis

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Shostakovich: Symphonies 6 & 10.......2006-11-14

    I was most interested in the 6th when I obtained this recording. I selected this recording based on the outstanding review in Gramophone The Good CD & DVD Guide 2006, which gives top notch praise to the performance of the 6th. I have been very pleased with the recording but I have no reference point except one recent live performance I sat through. Both the live performance by the Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony and this performance by Dallas were awesome.

    5 out of 5 stars An outstanding interpretation...........2003-10-11

    The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra known for its size--much like, in my opinion, the Chicago Symphony. However, under Litton's baton, this orchestra pumps out quite a memorable performance of these two works by Shostakovich, quite possibly the best on the market.

    To begin with, the orchestra musicians are simply amazing--Shostakovich can often sound muddled and messy--but it is obvious that the musicians put individual time into their parts, because every part is executed so cleanly. For example, the chromatic runs in the second movment of Symphony No. 6 are performed almost perfectly in tune by the entire violin section--a very difficutl feat for string players.
    Speaking of the Tenth Symphony, I must confess that I grew very accostumed to the Karajan recording, thinking that no better recording would ever be produced. Truth be told, this recording really does, in many ways, blow the Karajan recording out of the water! The interpretation of this piece is incredible, and Litton brings out every dynamic change and articulation, which is what makes this piece and performance so brilliant. You would expect the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to lambast the piece with loudness, but quite the contrary occurs--every detail is given notice. For example, in the riveting second movement, the Karajan interpretation is just one thing: LOUD! But Litton's interpretation brings out every change in dynamics, every slur, every accent--nothing goes unnoticed.

    This is a truly amazing compilation--the performances are simply superb and to make things even better, the sound quality is great! A must have for classical music collectors!

    4 out of 5 stars Good, but..........2002-01-24

    This is a good CD of the 10th, but my expectations were a bit too high. I think the DePriest/Helsinki recording and performance is slightly better.

    5 out of 5 stars Brilliant Performance!!.......2002-01-19

    The Dallas Symphony does a remarkable job of delivering heart-wrenching melodies and causing adrenaline rushes. The second movement of the 10th symphony has so much energy and inertia, you wont know what to do!! The second movement of the sixth symphony displays virtuosity in all of the sections but especially in the woodwinds. The Eb clarinet solo in the begining is nothing short of perfection. If you buy this CD, you will most certainly not regret it.
    Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6
    Average customer rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    • "Equisite Connoiseurship, Nos. 5
    		Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

    Manufacturer: Arts Music
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 9 & 10
    2. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad"
    3. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905" [Hybrid SACD]

    ASIN: B00009LW4Z
    Release Date: 2004-01-27

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars "Equisite Connoiseurship, Nos. 5 .......2006-09-02

    This is a fine recording of two of the finest symphonies composed in the 20th century by the last symphonist of the planet's extinct species. Symphony No. 5 (1937)is a busily melodic standard concert hall favorite, so brilliantly cinamagraphic and appealing/terrifying in imagages of Stalin's long wintery reign of terror and nationalistic bluster in the chilly, old and awful Soviet Union. Musicians in any orchestra under almost any conductor always rise to their best with Shostakovich's carnival orchestrations, as with Mahler's symphonies, and it certainly happens in this Arts CD single, recorded live with excited applause with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, a theatrically and melodically apt moniker for a band well trained in piccolo/strings brilliance,crisp waltzes, village band over- exuberance and deep, yearning melancholy. The direction of Russian-trained Oleg Caetani goes for the big sweep and detailed attention to the various orchestra section effects, one supposes just the composer's humor.
    And this great symphony, which is immediately enjoyable, is coupled on this CD with the equally great but neglected Sixth Symphony (1939), both written to dupe his menacing critics in the Kremlin's Kulture Dark Ages ("We need People's Music, comrade, not yours!"). Hark! The critics loved it, so Shostakovich was spared the fate of writing gulag working songs in Siberia. "Clever" is always just the right word for Dimitri Shostakovich.
    The two works are equally great and seem equally structured in vast introductory landscaped octaves, and Shostakovich, as obliging a chameleon as Stravinsky, absolutely rose to his peak in orchstral nostalgia and classical form. In my opinion,his inspiration thereafter to write more and more intellectually passionate symphonies too often failed him, like Mahler's after his great Fifth Symphony, I think,and the 10 or so that followed, including the much respected hyper-active Seventh, are but distracted echoes amid growing Soviet political convulsions.

    Shostakovich himself once remarked that it was getting too hard to write an allegro movement (and so his finales fell too easily into the old Slavic trap of folkish clog dances, military noise and shadow boxing (with Rossini, Verdi and stage entertainers of a bygone age. But Prokofiev could behave that way,too.)
    So by all means get this wonderful pairing of Shostakovich's best, because if you're after just the Fifth it generally comes packaged with his harsher products.
    Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A bitter, rather coarse Sym. #1, a sober, inward Sym. #6
    		 Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6
    Dmitry Shostakovich , Leonard Bernstein , and New York Philharmonic
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Symphony No. 14 The Royal Edition, No. 79 Of 100: Dmitri Shostakovich
    2. Bernstein Conducts Shostakovich
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    5. The Royal Edition, No. 66 Of 100: Maurice Ravel

    ASIN: B0000027NM
    Release Date: 1993-09-21

    Tracks:

    1. Sym No. 1 In f, Op. 10: Allegretto-Allegro Non Troppo
    2. Sym No. 1 In f, Op. 10: Allegro
    3. Sym No. 1 In f, Op. 10: Lento
    4. Sym No. 1 In f, Op. 10: Allegro Molto
    5. Sym No. 6 In b, Op. 54: Largo
    6. Sym No. 6 In b, Op. 54: Allegro
    7. Sym No. 6 In b, Op. 54: Presto

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A bitter, rather coarse Sym. #1, a sober, inward Sym. #6.......2005-09-11

    Bernstein conducted Shostakovich better than anyone outside Russia (I wonder if someone holds that title for conducting American music outside the U.S.?) His later recordings for DG are a bit ponderous in their effort to dig out every bit of meaning from Shostakovich's idiom. But LB's earlier performances with the NY Phil. are just as personal.

    This Sym. #1 is quirky, exposing more edge and bite than most conductors find in the score. Very little here is saucy or witty. Bernstien's view is already bitter, foreshadowing the persecuted Shostakovich rather than the show-off prodigy. The 1972 sonics are also edgy and hard, in fititng alliance with the reading.

    The 1965 recording of Sym. #6 sounds much more open and natural--it's one of the best that Bernstein's Shostakovich ever received. The opening Largo becomes a tragic outcry in Mravinsky's hands; no one else strikes quite that depth of emotion, including Bernstein, but he conducts it with solemn beauty, and the orchestra is at its best in producing haunting spare lines of melacholy reflection. Perhaps because the rollicking Scherzo is often criticized for sounding trivial by comparison, Bernstien takes it fairly slowly and draws deeper tone than usual. This allows him to gallop through the finale, but even here he reins in the high spirits. A sober air hangs over the entire work, which is quite valid. Of the two readings, I prefer this one to Sym. #1, but both are gripping and cnvincing.
    Shostakovitch: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Temirkanov delivers, but he doesn't rise to the heights
    • Just above average
    		 Shostakovitch: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6

    Manufacturer: RCA
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    OverturesOvertures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B00000JLNB
    Release Date: 1999-07-13

    Tracks:

    1. Festive Overture, Op. 96
    2. Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: Allegretto
    3. Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: Allegro
    4. Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: Lento
    5. Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: Lento; Allegro molto
    6. Symphony No. 6, Op. 54: Largo
    7. Symphony No. 6, Op. 54: Allegro
    8. Symphony No. 6, Op. 54: Presto

    Amazon.com

    This disc contains a surprise and a disappointment. The surprise is Yuri Temirkanov's jaunty run through Shostakovich's youthful Symphony No. 1, written when the composer was just 19. The St. Petersburg Philharmonic seems to take great delight with the diverse palette of orchestral colors the symphony presents; it also takes well to its sudden mood changes. However, the Sixth Symphony here is a botch. Everyone seems to be having an off day. The pacing of the magnificent opening movement is much too fast and the sound dynamics of the recording studio allow for too much shrillness in the woodwinds and flatness in the percussion. Adrian Boult's take on the Sixth is still the best; and the First still belongs to Bernstein. --Paul Cook

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Temirkanov delivers, but he doesn't rise to the heights.......2006-07-02

    Although he became RCA's house conductor for the Russian orchestral classics, I wonder if the American public realizes how great Temirkanov is. Unless you happened to live in Baltimore during his brief tenure there, or attend his occasional visits with the St. Petersburg orchestra to Carnegie Hall, Temirkanov has little presence here (and his name is harder to remember than Gergiev). This 1996 Shostakovich CD features a very alert, beautifully played Sym. #1. Temirkanov doesn't see the work as youthful high jinks (neither does his chief competitor, Gergiev, whose Kirov Orchestra now outshines the once-illustrious St. Petersburg Phil.). He plays it rather seriously but with lots of detail, aided by BMG's very clear, natural recording, which is blissfully free of shrillness in the upper range.

    The Sym. #6 performance is far from a 'botch,' as the Amazon reviewer claims, but I expected more than Temirkanov delivers. The opening Largo is one of Shostakovich's great slow movements, but it depends on repeating the same two themes, and to be fully successful, the conductor must build one long span of emotion that rises to tragic utterance. Temirkanov, besides being a bit fast, doesn't dig into the music's intensity enough. The only reading that has ever overwhelmed me was in the LP era, when Mravinsky and the same orchestra released a Melodiya recording on Angel. I don't think that version has eve resurfaced, unfortunately. The last two movements are done very well by both Temirkanov and hsi musicians, though he doesn't evoke the manic thrills of Mravinsky in the Scherzo.

    In all, the reviewer who calls this CD 'just above average' hits the nail on the head, but we're talking about the average set by a great conductor. I thinnk I'll try his remake of both symphonies, just released on Warner classics.

    3 out of 5 stars Just above average.......2002-06-05

    I bought this CD from ... because it was the only CD they had in their local store that featured the Festive Overture, a truly great piece. I don't have anything bad to say about the overture itself--the music is great and they play it well. I just sense that something is lacking. It's not quite robust enough for my tastes. The symphonies, while lacklaster, do have a couple worthwhile nuggets, such as the finale from the 6th. This is not a bad CD by any means, but I would suggest to search for another.
    Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1, 5, 6 & 9
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1, 5, 6 & 9

      Manufacturer: Melodiya
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000025I3S
      Release Date: 1997-01-01
      Shostakovich: Symphonies 4-9 "The War Symphonies"
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • Amazing collection - Gergiev struts his stuff.
      • the sum is less than the parts
      • Excellent performances, but no bargain
      		 Shostakovich: Symphonies 4-9 "The War Symphonies"

      Manufacturer: Philips
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Prokofiev: The Complete Symphonies
      2. Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4,5 & 6
      3. Shostakovich Against Against Stalin
      4. Shostakovich: Piano Music; Chamber Works
      5. Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Ballet, 1910) / Alexander Scriabin: Prometheus - The Poem of Fire - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra, St. Petersburg / Alexander Toradze

      ASIN: B000BCCWAI
      Release Date: 2005-11-08

      Tracks:

      1. Allegretto Poco Moderato
      2. Presto
      3. Moderato Con Moto
      4. Largo
      5. Allegro
      6. Allegro

      Tracks:

      1. Moderato
      2. Allegretto
      3. Largo
      4. Allegro Non Troppo

      Tracks:

      1. Largo
      2. Allegro
      3. Presto
      4. Allegro
      5. Moderato
      6. Presto
      7. Largo
      8. Allegretto - Allegro

      Tracks:

      1. Allegretto - Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
      2. Moderato (Poco Allegretto) - Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
      3. Adagio - Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
      4. Allegro Non Troppo - Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

      Tracks:

      1. Adagio
      2. Allegretto
      3. Allegro Non Troppo
      4. Largo
      5. Allegretto

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Amazing collection - Gergiev struts his stuff........2007-01-13

      The symphonies presented in this collection comprise the ones most folks are familiar with (the 11th would likely be next in line). Gergiev is full of spirit, and the recording quality is very good.

      I often end up comparing these interpretations with those of the Rostropovich recordings (of which I own the relatively newly released 5th, 8th and 11th). For me, having both is the right answer. Rostropovich's 5th is a bit more relaxed and perhaps a bit more ironic. The ending is almost too slow, but effective enough. Gergiev's 5th is far more vivacious. (On an unrelated note, I really don't care for the tuning of the timpani at the opening of the finale.) In general, Gergiev chooses swifter tempii than Rostropovich; perhaps it's an age thing?

      I'm a huge fan of the 4th on this disc... and I quite like how the 8th is presented as well. My only wish is for a complete run of the symphonies to be produced by this conductor/orchestra combo.

      This is another of those landmark recordings that any Shostakovich fan needs to have; the related DVD documentary is nice as well, even if a bit superficial.

      3 out of 5 stars the sum is less than the parts.......2006-07-16

      Gergiev's Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg is the modern-day incarnation of the Leningrad Philharmonic orchestra, which under the many years of leadership by Mravinsky, premiered most of Shostakovich's symphonies. So these recordings carry on the most authentic Russian performing tradition of the great 20th century composer. Valery Gergiev has produced some of the most compelling new performances of Shostakovich's symphonies in recent years. The 4th, 7th and combined 5th/9th discs included here are superb and well worth hearing (see my reviews). However, including the 6th (a lesser work) and the 8th (not one of the best performances) and calling it "The War Symphonies" (which is not historically accurate) does not justify buying this set instead of buying those three discs separately.

      DSCH's 7th, 8th and 9th Symphonies are his World War II symphonies -- most of the 7th was famously written during the Siege of Leningrad, when Shostakovich was photographed in his fireman's helmet, which was the basis for a Time magazine cover drawing. The 8th was also written during the war, and the 9th was written shortly afterward, and both provoked the displeasure of Stalin and the culture commissars for lacking an appropriately heroic tone. As far as I know, Gergiev has yet to record the 10th, one of DSCH's best. What you want at a minimum in a set of Shostakovich symphonies is the four best -- the 4th, 5th, 8th and 10th. If Gergiev wanted to stretch "War Symphonies" back into the '30s, he could have stretched it slightly forward into the '50s!

      Perhaps Gergiev has in mind that the 4th and 5th Symphonies of the 1930s reflect Stalin's Terror, which could be seen as an internal war on the Russian people. If so, this is quite legitimate, and is hinted at by the cover art -- Gergiev holding open the score, as if to say "listen to the music itself rather than assuming that there is one correct political or ideological interpretation of what it means." Shostakovich, to the best of my knowledge, was pro-Russian, and in a more complex way pro-Soviet, but definitely not pro-Stalin, which leads to a complex stance when the question is a German war of aggression against Russia when that Russia was led by Stalin. To my ears (and DSCH was to have said his music's meaning was clear to "those with ears to hear"), the music is deeply human, and deeply tragic. The 8th especially is a powerful statement against the horror of war, not a celebration of any political regime (see my review of the superb recording by Haitink).

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

      5 out of 5 stars Excellent performances, but no bargain.......2006-05-18

      We'll pass over how anyone stretches the term "war symphony" too include three works written in the 30s and one written after the war ended. These are among the best modern recordings of Sym. #4, #5, #7, and #9. I was less impressed by Sym. #8, which was recorded considerably earlier than the others. It feels too raw and has inferior sonics compared to what came after. The hybrid SACD vresion of Sym. #4 that I play on my regular two-channel CD equipment surpasses even the excellent Haitink recording from Decca.

      The big problem here is economic: most serious collectors will already own most if not all of these recordings. To tempt us to pay a lot of money for duplications, Philips provides one new item: Sym. #6. I would call Gergiev's performance a bit uninspired--this is a work that needs total commitment to come off at its best, and we are still waiting for a modern reading that equals the passion of Mravinsky's several readings. Meanwhile, rather than lay out $60, I'll make do with the Sixth from Temirkanov on RCA--it's cut from the same cloth as Gergiev's but is just that much more intense. (The slack Jansons recording on EMI is a disappointing miss.)

      Music Review:

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