Shostakovich: Symphonies 1 & 3

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Trained at the Moscow Conservatory, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky was, at various times, principal conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Symphony Orchestra of All-Union Radio and Television, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony. He was the founder and conductor of the Moscow Chamber Opera.

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky was trained at the Moscow Conservatory and made his debut at the age of 20. He has made more than 500 recordings covering an enormous range of repertory.

Album Description
Shostakovich wrote his First Symphony as a graduation exercise at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Its premiere in 1926 under Nikolai Malko was a popular and critical success and it is still regarded as one of the most mature "first symphonies" ever composed.

The Symphony No. 3 is one of Shostakovich’s works with an overtly political program. The choral finale is on a text by Semyon Kirsanov relating the May Day story, with lines like "Every May Day is a step towards Socialism!"

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto No.2, BWV 1047: III. Allegro assai
Birthday Ode For Queen Anne: Eternal Source Of Light Divine
Concerto For 2 Trumpets In C Major, RV 537: 1. Allegro
The Prince Of Denmark March
Canzon V
First Symphonic Suite: Rondeau
Trumpet Tune 'Martial Air': Martial Air
Trumpet Concerto In E-Flat Major: III. Finale. Allegro
Sonata a 9 zu der Kayserlichen Serenade
Voluntary In C Major
Trumpet Concerto In E-Flat Major: II. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In E-Flat Major: III. Rondo
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Petrushka: Dance Of The Ballerina & Waltz
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Introduction
Lieutenant Kije: Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: Kije's Wedding
Hary Janos Suite: Entrance Of The Emperor & His Court
Swan Lake, Op. 20: Naepolitan Dance (Act III) - Tchaikovsky
Rondo For Lifey
Concerto No. 1 For Piano, Trumpet & String Orchestra, Op. 35: IV. Allegro con brio
Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
The Three Aces - Clarke
A Bugler's Holiday
Variations On The Carnival Of Venice

Customer Reviews:

It was faulty on the last title to be played The Carnival of Venice.......2007-06-01

I returned this to New Castle. Box 15550. I have heard nothing. The date of the return was 15/05/07 from my Throop postoffice in Dorset. I sent it recorded delivery. Over to you. There was nothing on the return screen to explain the fault. ie faulty track. So after many attempts to get intouch I sent it to the address on the paper inside the parcel. Please help.
I am a Grandmother so I am over 13 ???

Awesome Collection!.......2006-07-04

As a young boy I would play my trumpet from my father's old Arban's method book. My private trumpet teacher (Mr. Bonfield) would love to play duets with me from the Merchant of Venice. One day I heard Wynoton Marsailas play a a flawless rendition of The Merchant of Venice on my local clasical radio station. It was flawless and brought back many fond memories of studiying the trumpet as a youngster with my beloved teacher. This collection contains that rendition and a wide selecton of clasical trumpet pieces. You may not recognize every song, but you will enjoy the high quality of the music and artists on this CD. Anyone looking for an introduction to quality, classical, trumpet music should buy this CD. The price also makes this an affordable must for any true trumpet fan.

A Wonderful Collection.......2004-01-26

This is a splendid anthology of music. Traditional Baroque and orchestral pieces up front, and a few surprises nearer the end. A splendid work. The price makes it a steal. Add it to your cart. You will not be sorry. There is technical excellence - peace in some of the songs and real energy in others.

Wonderful edition to your trumpet collection........2003-10-21

Trumpet fans should all own this album, that is if they don't already own all of the pieces on here on separate recordings (it would take a while to obtain them all). This recording features a bunch of great classical trumpeters and innovators such as Armando Ghitalla, Phil Smith, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Gould, H.L. Clarke, Ron Romm, Charles Schleuter, William Vacchiano, and more. Great performances of Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2", the Haydn and Hummel Concertos, Wynton's excellent performance of J.B. Arban's "The Carnival Of Venice", the New England Brass Ensemble performing "Trumpet Voluntary", a very good job done by a Baroque Orchestra of the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Trumpets, "The Three Aces" played by H.L. Clarke, and Leroy Anderson's classic "A Bugler's Holiday".

Overall this is a great listen to some of the best trumpet players of all-time in this idiom. All of the pieces are impeccably played by some of the best. I didn't discover this tape in my collection until recently, and boy I'm glad I did.

Quite the CD.......2001-04-17

If I were you, I would buy this CD. It is a diverse collection of amazing performances of quintessential pieces - an important addition to any classical music fan's collection. Heck, even if you're not big on classical music (or trumpet music or brass music or music at all) you should purchase this compact disc.

And comrades, let me say that you can't call yourself a member of the human race until you've heard Wynton Marsalis' performance of JB Arban's "Variations of Carnival of Venice." It's literally perfect. Buy this today.

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 7
Average customer rating:

A must have.

A fantastic Performance...

You Should Have Been There!

Once and never more.

The only pairing of Bernstein and the CSO, in good performances

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 7

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Shostakovich: Symphony No.15 & Sonata No.2

ASIN: B000001GB2
Release Date: 1989-10-20

Tracks:

No. 1 Op. 10; 1. Allegretto - Allegro non troppo
2. Allegro - Meno mosso - Allegro - Meno mosso
3. Lento - Largo - [Lento] (attacca:)
4. Allegro molto - Lento - Allegro molto - Meno mosso - Allegro molto - Molto meno mosso - Adagio
No. 7, Op. 60

Tracks:

No. 7, Op. 60
3. Adagio (attacca:)
4. Allegro non troppo

Amazon.com essential recording

One of the most thrilling musical experiences of my life was seeing Leonard Bernstein and the Chicago Symphony play Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony live. As Bernstein wrung every last ounce of pathos from the slow movement, I found it incredible that anyone could ever have thought this less than great music. The ending was so loud you could hardly even hear the cymbals! Happily, every bit of that experience--including the full dynamic range--has been captured on this recording, along with a terrific First Symphony. This is one of the great ones. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A must have........2007-02-02

While I must admit that this is the only recording I've heard of Shosty's 7th symphony, I can't imagine a more impressive performance. Seriously, this might be the greatest brass playing ever...ever! I highly recommend this recording!

A fantastic Performance..........2007-02-02

Up until I heard the live performance of Berstein and the CSO playing the Shostakovich 7th, I had not been a fan of Bernstein, especially because of his NYPO recording of the Shostakovich 5. However, I was so completely taken aback by the live performance of the 7th, that as soon as I could, I purchased the CD set. The 7th is a seemingly overgrown work, too overt and cumbersome, (think of Bartok making fun of it in his Concerto for Orchestra) yet it delivers an emotional jolt that makes one want to stand up and cheer. This Berstein recording got me back onto his side in 1989. It is sad that he had so little time left, however.

You Should Have Been There!.......2006-03-10

Yes, this "Leningrad" does indeed rate five stars, as most, if not all other writers here have given it. Despite some distortion in the louder passages, this recording certainly is a classic document. (I like Bernstein's 1962 recording on Columbia as well, but this simply has more impact.) One reviewer asked how the brass section did what they did. Having had the honor of being at this performance, I can tell you: the already world class regular section was augmented by extra players. If you think the finale is loud on the CD, you should have heard it when it was taking place!

I must correct one writer who said these performances were done in Medinah Temple in Chicago. They were both done in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, the First Symphony recorded without the audience, the Seventh done live. I was privileged to have been there. I'll never forget it!!

Once and never more........2006-02-01

This is the only recording, as far as I know, Leonard Bernstein did with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a group of players with a very long tradition in the American music and with a great technical playing good enough to play quite all the repertoires.

Like in the case of his Mahler's 9 with Berlin, Bernstein only recording with this orchestra is a miracle that happens once and never more, because of many reasons, the first one because this is a live recording in the Medinah Temple and the emotions felt in this CD could not happen again.

I always thought Chicago is a very appropriate orchestra to play DSCH's music, because of the characteristics of the orchestra and of Shostakovich's music, very hard and very sensitive at the same time. One of the symphonies it's better to this couple DSCH & CSO is the 7th that it's not the most complex between DSCH's works, from the technical and musical point of view, but that demands a great and powerful orchestral response, something you can listen perfectly in this amazing recording, in which CSO gives his best, with a baton that understand very well the score, as far as he can... I think no one could understand completely the meaning of the Leningrad not being in the place of the siege or in the scenario described in the double-program of the symphony, probably linked to the oppression Stalin made with his politics to the pre-communist life of Saint Petersburg. I remember Goethe's words, when he said that reading a book is more complex than reading a book. Of course good Goethe talked about understanding a work, and Lenny, even not living that situation gives us a description of the fears, sadness, oppression, etc, really convincing from the very first bar.

Symphony Nº1 is a piece from DSCH's conservatoire years, from 1926, when the composer was only 19 years old and he was suffering a very disturbing economical situation, after his father's death and in the poor CCCP after the Revolution and the Civil War. It's known DSCH had to work in a cinema, under very hard conditions to eat, and that Glazunov took care of having some official assistance for his conservatoire pupil in order to Dimitri gave attention only to composer. The piece is not a great work like symphonies 5, 7, 8, 10, 13... but it shows some details and the personality of the maestro clearly. It was a great success from the same premiere and it made appear Shostakovich as the emergent figure of the new soviet composers, formed in the communist conservatoire... That was what the regime said, because in fact Leningrad conservatoire was mainly what it was before communist regime.

Leonard Bernstein performance of this symphony is a glory from all the points of view, perfectly played and recorded, the piece is fresh, full of tension and emotion, and even that parts not so fine orchestrated shine with real genius. The fourth and final movement is specially outstanding and the way the symphony ends is so good that sometimes I repeat the last minute when it finish. I really don't know any other version played with this very deep conviction on CD.

Seventh Symphony "Leningrad" is OUTSTANDING too, in every movement the orchestral playing and Lenny's conducting is breathtaking. The gigantic crescendo of the first movement is really a monument in the way Lenny control the dynamics perfectly, having an end that is really impossible to repeat, with the scales of the metals and drums full of terror, like watching the face of the death in front of you, in front of the city.

Central movements are wonderfully described too, the dynamics and the control of the tempo is amazing, as we listen in the second movement, a clear example of alternation between fortissimos and pianissimos, as between an atmosphere were everything is like suspended in fears and moments of pain.

The last movement is another Bernstein's `show', because of the way he proclaims the victory of the initial motif, which we could say is not completely affirmed in order to create that two-senses possibilities in the symphony reading. From the very dark beginning of the movement Lenny creates a crescendo that finally leads an explosion in the last bars, outstanding one more time.

The recording is fine, very present, full of body and not so clean like his recordings with Vienna in the 80's (I think about his DSCH's 6 & 9, for example), but it worth very, VERY, very much.

I could not say this is the only possible version, as I read in other reviews. I know about 5 or 6 performances (Rostropovich, Jansons, Haitink, Barshai...), apart from some others life, and of course this is the one I like much more, but not the only possibility, I try to discover always new ways in art, specially in music performances. Jansons' version in EMI is very good too, and we can not forget DSCH music always use to ask for the soviet performances, which are a very different way of understanding the works generally. Kondrashin or Rozhdestvensky shows another ways too.

Nowadays you can buy this 1st and 7th in this double top price CD or in a very interesting 6CDs box which contains Bernstein performances of DSCH's symphonies 6th and 9th with the Wiener Philharmoniker for not to be missed. That 6CDs box offers too his recordings of Stravinsky for DG. I have all of them and I think it worth too, but you remember the best thing in that box are DSCH's performances.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

The only pairing of Bernstein and the CSO, in good performances.......2006-01-22

Bernstein was only 70 when he made this, his only recording with the Chicago Sym., but he was already debilitated and tired. Given his bad health, it's a wonder that these performances of the Shostakovich First and Seventh Sym. are as vital as they are. From anyone else, I would give the Seventh five stars. It is a galvanzing reading captured in great sound. But Bernstein's first Seventh, made in 1962 with the NY Phil., was a miracle of spontaneous, totally committed music-making. If you want maximum sonic impact, buy this CSO recording instead, but get it in the new bargain box from DG that contains all of Bernstein's later Stravinsky and Shostakovich recordings. The latest remastering is impeccable throughout.

Paying full price for this 2-CD set would hurt less if the Sym. #1 were better. I find it lacking in mood and color; it sounds very well played and nicely detailed but little more. When it was over I felt neutral, whereas the earlier NY Phil. version is quirky and digs in more. Again, the sonics are excellent, far better than before.

Shostakovich: Symphonies #1 & 14 - Sir Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Rich and deep!
An Eloquent Shostakovich Symphony No. 14
Setting a new standard in (non-Russian) recordings of the Fourteenth
JUST NOT RUSSIAN ENOUGH!

Shostakovich: Symphonies #1 & 14 - Sir Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand"
Mahler: Symphony No. 6; Piano Quartet [Hybrid SACD]
Prokofiev: The Complete Symphonies
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection")
Stravinsky: Les Noces; Mass; Cantata [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B000EQ449I
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

De Profundis - Thomas Quasthoff
Malaguena - Karita Mattila
La Loreley - Karita Mattila
Le Suicide - Karita Mattila
Les Attentives I - Karita Mattila
Les Attentives II - Karita Mattila
A La Sante - Thomas Quasthoff
Reponse Des Cosqaques Zaporogues Au Sultan De Constantinople - Thomas Quasthoff
O Delvig, Delvig! - Thomas Quasthoff
Der Tod Des Dichters - Karita Mattila
Schulssstuck - Karita Mattila

Tracks:

I. Allegretto - Berliner Philharmoniker
II. Allegro - Berliner Philharmoniker
III. Lento - Berliner Philharmoniker
IV. Allegro Molto - Berliner Philharmoniker

Amazon.com

This stunning new recording, taken from live performances in Berlin, features symphonies composed by Shostakovich early and late in his life. The 14th, a cycle of 11 songs, is a series of meditations of one sort or another on death(or immortality, dissent or loss of some sort), for solo bass and soprano voices, and scored for strings and percussion (made up of castanets, woodblock, three tom toms, whip, bells, vibraphone, xylophone, celesta). The songs are potent indeed, each being a microcosm of some type of pain, and Sir Simon Rattle has chosen superb soloists: Karita Mattila, at her most lyrical, refuses to shout, scaling her voice back to a point of intimacy when required, but of course with reserves of power; and Thomas Quasthoff, whose voice is more ravishing with each passing year, wrings all the feeling out of his texts. Rattle gets great playing from the orchestra, with the percussion startling with each of its aggressive entrances. The 1st Symphony is a huge contrast---very classical and bright, but also with surprising depth of feeling in the slow movement---a hint of what was to come in the composer's career. The performance is excellent, with particularly gorgeous, expressive playing from the oboes. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Rich and deep!.......2006-09-20

The playing and conducting on this record is simply phenomenal, exactley what one would hope for from an orchestra of this caliber. but what stunned me the most was the quality of the recording!

the sound of this record, (through high quality headphones, studio style), was incredibly rich and deep, yet everything came across clearly.

the record on the whole was simply excellant, and i would recommend it to anyone looking for either of these symphonys, especially the first.

An Eloquent Shostakovich Symphony No. 14.......2006-08-12

Fortunate we are to have several excellent choices in recordings of this brilliant Shostakovich Symphony No. 14. Based on six poems of death by Marina Tsvetaeva and scored for large strings only orchestra the piece demands almost as much from the listener as it does form the performing forces. At a recent performance in Los Angeles, brilliant though it was in every way, many of the audience members walked out, unable to tolerate the dark work.

Here Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic strings with depth and fluid passion and gathers as much color as possible form the writing. The absolutely first rate singers are Karita Mattila and Thomas Quasthoff, and the mere mention of their names should offer sufficient reassurance that the musicianship, color of voice, and communication of these difficult texts is sufficient to guarantee a brilliant performance. But these two singers, and especially Quasthoff, delve so deeply into the meaning of the poems, finding all the subtleties of the writing that the listener is frozen in time. It is a brilliant recording.

The jaunty First Symphony of Shostakovich is an added CD to the set, and a very welcome one at that. Often dismissed as 'youthful' and therefore not worth including in the major works of Shostakovich, this work has so many suggestions of the places the composer would so powerfully go in his tumultuous career. Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic give a fine reading, making us appreciated the work all the more. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, August 06

Setting a new standard in (non-Russian) recordings of the Fourteenth.......2006-07-18

This new EMI recording is so splendid musically and so spellbinding in its sonics that it sets a new standard. The death-soaked Shostakovich Fourteenth is a tough listen. Its Russian blackness has been brightened here in several ways. Instead of a Slavic bass we have Quasthoff's refined German baritone. This removes some of the grim visceral power in the male songs, but Shostakovich is suicidally bleak in many of these songs, and frankly, getting a little relief is welcome. Karita Mattila's soprano is ripe enough to sound almost Slavic, but with a blessed lack of Slavic wobble and shrill edginess.

The second big change is the virtuosity of the Berlin Phil., which offers the ear sensual pleasure amid all the gloom. The strings are sweet, supple, and agile. The percusison is razor-sharp and full of color as recorded live by EMI's engineers. I can see why the reviewer below doesn't think this performance is Russian enough; it just happens that I prefer it less biting and brutal (my old favorite being the Haitink recording on Decca with Fischer-Dieskau and Julia Varady, who leaven the text even more by singing the eleven poems in their several original languages instead of Russian).

EMI has sweetened the mix by adding Rattle's live reading of the popular First Sym. on a bonus disc. The First is a jaunty student work, though it has itws own darker shadings. The listener gets a chance to contrast the old and young Shostakovich; one is more likely to flee to the First to sweep the gloom of the Fourteenth out of the house. Actually, Ratle's performance is a touch seroius and carefully played; it's not the romp that Haitink's was. Gergiev and Dohnanyi, both of whom I heard live in this piece, take the same more sober view. The outstanding thing here is the gorgeous, detailed sound and as ever, the playing of the Berlin Phil.

JUST NOT RUSSIAN ENOUGH!.......2006-07-14

Both Shostakovich's last two symphonies are obsessed with death. And both are profoundly Russian in their approach to their subject matter. They share a deep darkness at their hearts to which Russians seem to have a unique key. And both are leavened by that biting sardonic Russian humour which, in Shostakovich's hands, always seems equally black.

No.14 is perhaps the darker of the two, aided by the monochrome colouring of its strings-only orchestra and abetted by the flashes of colour and texture from the large percussion group that complements it. Despite taking its texts from a broad range of European poets, it is this profound Russian blackness that is the all-pervading characteristic of the piece. De profundis (the title of the first poem) indeed.

And it is perhaps such quintessential Russianness that this disc lacks. Wonderful singers, wonderful orchestra, and a wonderful conductor ultimately cannot substitute for that echt Russian voice. The singers, especially Mattila, certainly have their moments of magical singing - her lilies in the Suicide and, for that matter, Quastoff's O Delvig, Delvig are both intense and moving. But not precisely in the right way. Shostakovich himself tried to provide a way out by authorising the singing of the texts in the poems' original languages (as used by Mr. and Mrs. Fischer-Dieskau on Decca). But it's a stop-gap - no substitute for the real thing. For that you have to turn to real Russians singing in real Russian such as Vishnevskaya and Rezhetin for Rostropovich.

Much the same comments apply to the orchestral playing and conducting, as well. There is certainly the full range of string colour and devices here - rich bass and cello sonorities, full violin tone, col legno and sul ponticello effects, pizzicati that are full and rich or spookily glassy as the score demands - all wonderfully played by the Berlin Philharmonic. But once again, you don't feel this music is in their or their conductor's bones. Rattle too often is caught up by the moment, worrying at a phrase or seeking out deeper truths in the inner voices. But it is all rather counterproductive. The flow and symphonic thrust of the whole piece seems to elude him and it tends to remain just a song-cycle. Even the moving reprise of the opening material much later passes for relatively little.

For that real Russian darkness and intensity, I would turn to Rostropovich with his wife and Mark Rezhetin. Or, for a fascinating alternative, the same singers join Benjamin Britten - the dedicatee of the symphony - in the first performance of the piece outside Russia on a BBC Legends disc. Perhaps not totally echt, but Britten was never less than elucidating when conducting other composers' music as well as his own.

Symphony No.1 on a separate disc fares better. The teeming plethora of ideas and vivid orchestral imagination of the 19-year old composer get the treatment from Rattle and his Berliners. Even here, though, there are times when the sheer variety of the ideas don't always gel together. Nevertheless an exciting performance of a symphony that was always much more cosmopolitan in outlook than its successor from late in Shostakovich's life.

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:

For the Wine Connoisseur

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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For April Showers
For the Discriminating Man
For the Hopeless Romantic
For Whatever
For Sunday Brunch

ASIN: B0006VXMJY
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

Allegro Assai - I Musici
Canon In D - Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
The Arrival Of The Queen of Sheba - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Rondeau - Simon Preston
Minuet - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Air On A G String - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Allegro - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Preludio - Henryk Szeryng
Allegro - English Chamber Orchestra
Tempo Di Valse - The Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Barcarolle - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
Waltz II - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bolero - Boston Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Shostokovich: Symphonies 1 & 9
Celibidache , and Munchner Philharmoniker
Manufacturer: Angel
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Prokofiev: Symphonies 1 & 5
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Tchaikovsky: Symphony 4
Fauré: Requiem; Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms [Live]
Schumann: Piano Concerto; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

ASIN: B00068V39S
Release Date: 2005-07-18

Tracks:

Applause
1. Allegretto/Allegro Non Troppo
2. Allegro
3. Lento
4. Allegro Molto/Lento/Allegro Molto
Applause
1. Allegro
2. Moderato
3. Presto
4. Largo
5. Allegretto
Applause
Adagio For Strings Op. 11
Applause

Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet

Average customer rating:

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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Orchestral Excerpts for Tuba
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Charles Vernon, Bass Trombone
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ASIN: B0000038JV
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Average customer rating:

Superb performances and sound

Schostakowitsch; Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6

Manufacturer: Berlin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Schostakowitsch: Symphony No. 10

ASIN: B0000035QO
Release Date: 1994-11-29

Customer Reviews:

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.

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: Symphonies 1 & 3

Manufacturer: Moscow Studio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Tracks:

I. Allegretto. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Allegro
III. Lento
IV. Allegro Molto
Allegretto
Piu Mosso. Allegro
Andante
Allegro. Allegro Molto
Andante. Largo
Finale: 'V Pervoye Pervoye Maya'

Album Description

Shostakovich wrote his First Symphony as a graduation exercise at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Its premiere in 1926 under Nikolai Malko was a popular and critical success and it is still regarded as one of the most mature "first symphonies" ever composed.