Shostakovich: Trio, Op.67/Sonata, Op.40

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Shostakovich's Trio No. 2 is a grim masterpiece, a disguised tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust written during World War II and actually using Jewish folk themes. The Cello Sonata was written a decade earlier, but it has its own dark political shadows of Stalinism. So don't buy this disc for fun and games. But do buy it for a couple of 20th-century masterpieces, played by a trio of well-known musicians who perform the music with great dedication. If you can put up with old sound, you can hear both of these pieces played by the composer (the Sonata on MultiSonic 31 0179, the Trio on Doremi DHR 7701). --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Son in d, Op.40: Allegro Non Troppo - Dmitri Shostakovich/Daniil Shafran
Son in d, Op.40: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich/Daniil Shafran
Son in d, Op.40: Largo - Dmitri Shostakovich/Daniil Shafran
Son in d, Op.40: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich/Daniil Shafran
Son, Op.134: Andante - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh
Son, Op.134: Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh
Son, Op.134: Largo, Andante - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh
Pno Trio in e, Op.67: Andante - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh/Milos Sadlo
Pno Trio in e, Op.67: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh/Milos Sadlo
Pno Trio in e, Op.67: Largo - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh/Milos Sadlo
Pno Trio in e, Op.67: Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich/David Oistrakh/Milos Sadlo

Amazon.com

It is always salutary to hear Shostakovich perform his own music. If his own performances are any indication of how he intended his music to be played, then current performances of his music are much too slow--and much too serious. Compare the composer's own, never-before-released recording of the Violin Sonata with David Oistrakh (taped in the violinist's apartment in December 1968, just after the work was completed) with the famous one of the official world premiere a few months later. That performance, in which Oistrakh (to whom the work was dedicated) was joined by Sviatoslav Richter, is still available as part of BMG's five-disc David Oistrakh Edition and is irreplaceable. But Shostakovich's tempos in the march theme of the first movement bring an element of unexpected humor to what, even in the Oistrakh-Richter reading, has always seemed unrelievedly grim. Shostakovich, whose playing was by then impaired by his polio, sometimes struggles with the notes.

No such qualifications attach to the 1947 performance of the Piano Trio in E Minor (with Oistrakh and cellist Milos Sadlo) and the 1946 recording of the Cello Sonata in D Minor, in which Shostakovich partners with Daniel Shafran. The Trio, otherwise available only in a somewhat sanitized transfer in Vol. I of Doremi's David Oistrakh Collection, is played with a brutal energy that makes other versions sound sentimental, even naive. The surprisingly well-recorded performance of the Cello Sonata is better, as well as faster, than the celebrated one made 16 years later by the composer with Mstislav Rostropovich. Shafran's cello playing is powerful without sounding ponderous, and poetic without a trace of affectation. His performance is also filled with imaginative touches--such as the eerie timbral effects created by the way he accelerates during the scherzo's glissandi. The composer must have loved the zest with which Shafran played his music, and listeners will, too. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

Shostakovich The Genius.......2002-04-27

Shostakovich was clearly a genius and this CD shows that. He lived under such torture under the Soviet power and tried to express his sadness in his music - unfortunately though, he was nearly arrested for writing music that Stalin did not like.
I also recomend listening to Shostakovich's Piano Preludes.
I believe that these are some of his only works in which the composer expresses himself truely. But this CD also shows that, which is why i THOROUGHLY recomend it.

Email me to hear some of my compositions, inspired by the genius of Shostakovich.

Tracks:

Trio No. 2 For Violin, Cello & Piano, Op.67: I-Andante; Moderato
Trio No. 2 For Violin, Cello & Piano, Op.67: II-Allegro con brio
Trio No. 2 For Violin, Cello & Piano, Op.67: III-Largo
Trio No. 2 For Violin, Cello & Piano, Op.67: IV-Allegretto
Sonata For Cello & Piano, Op. 40: I-Allegro non troppo
Sonata For Cello & Piano, Op. 40: II-Allegro
Sonata For Cello & Piano, Op. 40: III-Largo
Sonata For Cello & Piano, Op. 40: IV-Allegro

Amazon.com

Shostakovich's Trio No. 2 is a grim masterpiece, a disguised tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust written during World War II and actually using Jewish folk themes. The Cello Sonata was written a decade earlier, but it has its own dark political shadows of Stalinism. So don't buy this disc for fun and games. But do buy it for a couple of 20th-century masterpieces, played by a trio of well-known musicians who perform the music with great dedication. If you can put up with old sound, you can hear both of these pieces played by the composer (the Sonata on MultiSonic 31 0179, the Trio on Doremi DHR 7701). --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

The Three Masters.......2007-01-11

We bought this for the Three Masters - Stern, Yo-YO Ma and Ax.
The Trio, the first piece, you really have to like Shostakovich.
We skip to the the second piece - The Sonata for Cello and Piano, which is great.

notes from a mere fan.......2006-08-12

A few reviewers hold that this is a lackluster performance, somehow devoid of energy or enthusiasm. Perhaps the performers, being famous, relied on their fame to carry the performance, and their heart wasn't in it.

Of course other listeners, most more sensitive than I, disagree. That's the way of it. One of the pleasures of classical music and of life is the freedom to listen for oneself. No one agrees about much of anything. Another one of the great pleasures of classical music is comparing interpretations and performances, and if you have the time and the coin, you should definitely indulge in several recordings of any piece of music. You might consider starting out with the Naxos recording of the trio (ASIN: B0000014DB).

Trusting my own (admittedly rather ignorant) ears, I could also ask for more from several parts of this recording. But I feel the fourth movement of the trio is so beautiful, so intense, so tragic, so violent, so perfect--if music could kill this would be a fatal, romantic, ecstatic experience--that I recommend it enthusiastically. Those ten minutes, listen to them over and over, they will change you. They are worth the price of this CD.

Unless...

If you happen to be new to Shostakovich, let me recommend starting with Kronos Quartet's "Black Angels" CD (ASIN: B000005J0D). That features a number of interesting (some rather shocking) pieces of music, including my favorite recording of Shostakovich's eighth string quartet. That was my unforgettable introduction to Shostakovich, and I recommend it very strongly to anyone starting out with Shostakovich. No matter what the merits of this recording, that is in every way a better introduction to Shostakovich.

(And besides, in addition to an introduction to Shostakovich, there you can meet George Crumb, who does things you will never believe with string instruments. If you doubt musical sacrilege is possible, or if you hate your neighbors, listen to that with the volume up. It is, at any rate, memorable. Buy it for the Shostakovich, and brace yourself for the Crumb.)

Great Engineering, lackluster performance . . . .......2006-05-23

I got this version of the Trio because my other version suffered from mic-up-the-nose-itis (sniff-sniiiiiiffff!) This one certainly had improved sound quality and was virtually free of background noise - but the trade-off is a very lifeless performance. You would think that with such great talent as this disc boasts that the Trio #2 would be at the top of its class - but what we get is a merely serviceable rendition with no punch, no verve. During the moment of eubulation at the midway point of the first movement, the trio seem to be merely plodding along when they should be letting loose with sudden and rapturous joy! The same occurs in the second movement. Fortunately, when the brooding third and fourth movements come along, the trio is much more in its element, and close out the Trio nicely.

As for the Cello Sonata, I have no other version to compare it to - and as it is rare to find a recording of it, I would have to say it was a nice addition to the disc, and seemed fine in my estimation.

For those who are curious, my previous version of the Trio #2 is from the NAXOS recording.

Incredible.......2004-04-10

In response to reviewer m_a_portnoi, I would disagree with his assessment that the trio features no 'nervous tension'. The final movement, in particular, is full of raging bitterness and a terrifying insanity. Stern and Ma frequently sound as if they are tearing into their insturments, and are driven mad with an internalized hate. I remember hearing the "Largo" and "Allegretto" on the radio when I was 12 and being completely blown apart by its power, feeling like I was hearing some furious, spiritualized madness, and looking for a copy for months. This was the one I purchased, and I still believe that it is one of the greatest music recordings in my collection, and without a doubt among the best I've heard, of any genre. Yes, the performance is a little less 'on edge' and 'nervous' than the traditional Shostakovich arrangements and conductions, but I believe that this is a testament to his power as a composer, to allow for such a different kind of beauty to come out in his work - the lushness and thick, slow craziness of the "Largo" is a great example of this. All Shostakovich compositons are beautiful, whether or not they are 'ugly' or 'tense', and these three performers really bring out a softer, but no less horrifying and spiritually disturbing, texture to the work; through them the music becomes ultimately uplifting and deeper in its meaning. Though, I believe one can never really go wrong with any Shostakovich work.

I could go on and on about how marvelous this record is. If you're considering it, do give it a try. Yes, its beautiful, but since when is that bad? Even beauty has depth to it.

Stern-Ma-Ax provide lifeless Shostakovich.......2003-03-13

This was my first recording of the Piano Trio and the Cello Sonata. I bought it with the understanding that the ensemble is made up of three legendary performers, and therefore chances are the performance would be satisfactory. And indeed, when I listened to it, I was very pleased. The performance was lively, exciting, and had everything I had sought in it.
HOWEVER, hindsight is 20/20. And I have listened to many, many performances and many, many recordings of the works since then. And what I find is that this ensemble plays Shostakovich as if he were Brahms: a great, lush sound, and LEGATO. Mstislav Rostropovich would remark, "they play beautifully!"
But Slava was being ironic. Shostakovich's music is never, ever, ever at ease. He was a tense and nervous person, and this recording, in retrospect, has lots of energy, but no NERVOUS energy. The lines are rarely disconnected, no risks are taken, and the listener gets absolutely no sense of the unsettled man that Dmitri Shostakovich was, by all accounts. I suggest Olli Mustonen, Joshua Bell, & Steven Isserlis; Gilels-Kogan-Rostropovich or either of the two recordings Shostakovich himself did of the work are also excellent. The energy is boiling over in those, and it is of a variety consistent with the composer's language.

Shostakovich: The Complete Trios & Sonatas

Average customer rating:

words fail...
Amazing!
Stellar, gorgeous
Putting the record straight
Simply the best of the best

Shostakovich: The Complete Trios & Sonatas

Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000000T9W
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8: Andante
Sonata For Violoncello And Piano, Op. 40: Allegro non troppo
Sonata For Violoncello And Piano, Op. 40: Allegro
Sonata For Violoncello And Piano, Op. 40: Largo
Sonata For Violoncello And Piano, Op. 40: Allegro
Piano Trio No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 67: Andante. Moderato
Piano Trio No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 67: Allegro non troppo
Paino No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 67: Largo
Piano Trio No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 67: Allegretto

Tracks:

Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 134: Andante
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 134: Allegretto
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 134: Largo
Sonata For Viola And Piano, Op. 147: Moderato
Sonata For Viola And Piano, Op. 147: Allegretto
Sonata For Viola And Piano, Op. 147: Adagio

Amazon.com

This is an amazing set of grim, often bizarre music. The Trio No. 2 is a lament for the Russian Jews killed during World War II. The late Violin and Viola Sonatas sound like laments for the composer himself, in ill health and nearing the end of his life. Even the Cello Sonata, composed in slightly happier times, is far from humorous. Only the one-movement First Trio, a strange piece, has much happiness in it. If you're ready to face this difficult music, though, these performances by splendid musicians bring everything to life, and the "twofer" set is a great deal. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

words fail..........2006-05-11

Nothing I can think to write about this album seems to do it justice. At the date of this writing these discs are unavailable but if they are rereleased, or if you can find them used, buy them immiediately! Not only is this chamber music of the highest caliber heard in spellbinding performance, these pieces are rarely heard, yet are meaningful and immediately accessible to almost anyone, from casual listener to professional musician: tuneful, memorable, and as gripping as expressive as music gets. One of the most valuable albums in my collection.

Amazing!.......2006-01-18

This is my most cherished recording out of all of my recordings of any of Shostakovich's works. These musicians are outstanding, and the recording is top-notch. It is so good that it has oft made me cry.

Stellar, gorgeous.......2002-03-01

A powerful, authoritative outing. In particular, Kalichstein's sensitivity to the works is exquisite. Much has been made of the lock-step timing of the Ahn Trio's recording of Op. 67--and I think it's a brilliant reading as well. Whether the Ahns intended irony is anyone's guess. KLR render these works with the obvious intensity of those who have dissected the music of DS all their lives. The playing is impeccable, but the uniqueness of the interpretation is truly phenomenal. This record is a must-have.

Putting the record straight.......2002-02-02

The second trio was composed on the death of his closest friend confidante and critic Sollertinsky in 1940. Although later critics unaware of the chronolgy suggest that it is a lament for the deaths of the holocaust because of its affinity with his later work based on jewish melodies which do remember the specifically jewish dead, the facts dont hold up. Russia itself had been a giant prison camp during the thirties and the composer had lost friends and supporters to Stalin's purges, barely preserving itself, remember at least 25million died under Stalin. Shostakovich loss resonating within a society in terror is commemorated. The greatness is in the work. That it is an act of mourning for a particular friend was noticed by people who knew both, how the impassioned cadences of both men's idiosyncratic conversational styles permeate, particularly in the dialogue between piano and cello.

Simply the best of the best.......2001-07-02

The Viola Sonata, op. 147 is Shostakovich's last and best work. It may well be the best work ever written by anyone. Freed from any lingering desires to please anyone but himself, Shostakovich composed the type of music a dying man writes when he knows he will never hear it performed: simply, direct, passionate, sincere. Having op. 147 brilliantly performed is reason alone to buy this CD. Throw in the amazing partially dodecaphonic Violin Sonata, the Cello Sonata and the two trios and you've got one amazing deal.