Shostakovich Edition: Symphonies, Concertos, Suites, String Quartets, Chamber Music
Here is the best box of Shostakovich you are ever likely to find. Newly compiled by Brilliant Classics the set includes the complete symphonies, chamber music, string quartets, concertos, ballet suites and film music in some of the most critically acclaimed recordings made of this repertoire. Reviews from the various issues are below: BARSHAI’S COMPLETE SYMPHONIES Rudolf Barshai's WDR Symphony Orchestra cycle (recorded 1994-2000 in Cologne) is one of the best all around sets available, with idiomatic playing that approaches that of great Russian orchestras and masterful conducting by a man who knew and worked closely with the composer. If you need more convincing, check out the following quick overview. No. 1: Crystalline textures and tight phrasing characterize this performance, emphasizing the work's neo-classical style (less so it's darkly emotional side). No. 2: The playing is fleet, propulsive, and colorful, which is exactly what this "steel age" music needs; and the Rundfunkchor sings with revolutionary fervor at the conclusion, clearly articulating the text. No. 3: Barshai shapes this rambling work into a somewhat coherent musical discourse, but even his sensitive conducting cannot redeem the bland and tasteless choral ending. No. 4: A smart, biting performance with highly characterful playing from the orchestra. The strings really "kick" in the first movement's whirlwind fugato. The recording's lack of low bass is the only drawback. No. 5: Barshai's interpretation is stern yet elegant, and his emphasis on the work's classical proportions brilliantly points up the symphony's relationship to Beethoven (as well as Mahler). No. 6: A great performance; Barshai shapes the first movement beautifully, illuminating the the music's underlying passion; the Scherzo is the fastest ever, and it's perfectly played, as is the mercurial finale; great percussion throughout. No. 7 "Leningrad": A tight, taut opening to what will be a smoothly flowing rendition that's high on feeling but a little short on bombast (which may be a plus for some listeners). No. 8: Profoundly moving, communicating the work's tragic time in history; Barshai draws some particularly hair-raising sounds from the WDR woodwinds. No. 9: Magnificent; Shostakovich's subversive, Haydnesque wit and underlying anxiety is made perfectly plain; wonderful brass playing. No. 10: A lithe, lean, and dramatic reading, with powerful climaxes; the Scherzo is less frantic than some, but no less ferocious. No. 11 "The Year 1905": Another triumph; Barshai redeems this symphony by reaching beyond the surface cinematography to find the tragic grandeur just beneath. No. 12 "The Year 1917": Fast tempos give the music an unusual dramatic impetus that outshines the rather foursquare melodic material; clearly this piece works better when it's short and sweet. No. 13 "Babi Yar": A gripping, intense, take-no-prisoners performance; Barshai draws forth powerfully dark and rich low orchestral sonorities, creating palpable feelings of fear and anxiety while generating tremendous climaxes; bass Sergei Alekshaskin is the voice of authority, doom, and compassion, and he's supported by the Moscow Choral Academy's ferociously powerful singing; this performance alone is worth the price of the set. No. 14: A masterful interpretation from the man who premiered the work. The string playing is stunning, while Alla Simoni and Vladimir Vaneev realize the music's bitter irony, grim tragedy, and profound sadness in their passionate, at times neurotic performances. No. 15: Barshai's light touch emphasizes the music's droll qualities and flies directly in the face of ironic and angst-ridden portrayals by Neeme Järvi and Kurt Sanderling; the finale is spectacular. There you have it, and add to this overall clear, impactful, and nicely reverberant recorded sound and you've got one great Shostakovich cycle. Even though in some cases I lean toward Rozhdestvensky's hysterically intense renderings on Melodiya (while I don't necessarily warm to the screechy sound of those recordings), Barshai's intelligent, humane, passionate, and deeply felt readings undeniably realize the composer's intentions and certainly will stand the test of time.p> --Victor Carr Jr., ClassicsToday.com THE FILM MUSIC AND JAZZ AND BALLET SUITES The main competition for this material comes from Riccardo Chailly's excellent selection of film and dance music for Decca. While the repertoire is not identical, its substance really is, and given the choice between them I have no hesitation in recommending this inexpensive three-disc set, for several reasons. First, Chailly's discs (even assuming that they are all still available) must be purchased separately, and this entire set costs just about as much as any one of those single CDs. Second, I like the inclusion of a few more substantial pieces, such as the Overture on Russian and Kirghiz Themes, as well as the brilliant performance of the Festive Overture Op. 96. Third, while Chailly delivers beautifully played renditions, Kuchar's are simply more exciting, particularly in the many gallops and waltzes. This isn't music that requires the ultimate in polish, though the playing of the Ukrainian orchestra is very good--and it's also significant that Kuchar reveals more instrumental detail than does Chailly, particularly in the Jazz suites, or (for example) the Folk Fest segment of the suite from The Gadfly. Terrific sonics add up to an irresistible package that makes an easy first recommendation for this repertoire. -- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS When it comes to this music, how the quartet plays technically is just as important as what it does interpretively, and I very much like the way that the Rubio Quartet plays. Unlike so many groups in this music, they never hack or slash their way through the more violent moments, always maintaining excellent balances, smooth legato, and a warm tone. Combine this with lively tempos throughout, and the result achieves all of the necessary intensity without ugliness or distortion, realizing the composer's intentions far more effectively than many a more rough and edgy approach. The result may well appeal to Shostakovich fans who respect rather than love these pieces (and I know that there are many), finding concentrated listening to four strings perpetually in extremis something of an ordeal (at least as compared to the symphonies, with their wider range of contrasts). This emphasis on the classical virtues of fine chamber music playing means that those famous "crazy" moments, such as the second movement of the Eighth Quartet, erupt naturally and sound well-placed in their context with no loss of excitement, while the gentler passages in the First and Seventh Quartets, or the opening of the Fourth, are notably lovely and full of feeling. In the late quartets (Nos. 12-15) the Rubio's emphasis on lyricism goes far toward making the music's bleakness and dark emotional demeanor more palatable (and consequently more expressively direct) than many less ingratiating interpretations. Very natural recorded sound, happily not too close to the players, ideally complements the ensemble's approach. You can find more gut-wrenching versions of these works (the Borodin Quartet, for example), but this set does the music full justice while also placing it within the great quartet tradition to which Shostakovich so often pays homage. An excellent achievement and a tremendous bargain. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com Works on This Recording 1. Symphony no 1 in F minor, Op. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1924-1925; USSR 2. Symphony no 2 in B flat major, Op. 14 "To October" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Chorus, Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1927; USSR 3. Symphony no 3 in E flat major, Op. 20 "First of May" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Chorus, Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1929; USSR 4. Symphony no 4 in C minor, Op. 43 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1935-1936; USSR 5. Symphony no 5 in D minor, Op. 47 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1937; USSR 6. Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 54 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1939; USSR 7. Symphony no 7 in C major, Op. 60 "Leningrad" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1941; USSR 8. Symphony no 8 in C minor, Op. 65 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1943; USSR 9. Symphony no 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1945; USSR 10. Symphony no 10 in E minor, Op. 93 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1953; USSR 11. Symphony no 11 in G minor, Op. 103 "Year 1905" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1957; USSR 12. Symphony no 12 in D minor, Op. 112 "To the Memory of Lenin - 1917" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1961; USSR 13. Symphony no 13 in B flat minor, Op. 113 "Babi Yar" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Sergei Aleksashkin (Bass) ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Choral Academy ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1962; USSR 14. Symphony no 14 in G minor, Op. 135 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Alla Simoni (Soprano), Vladimir Vaneev (Bass) ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1969; USSR 15. Symphony no 15 in A major, Op. 141 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1971; USSR 16. Symphony for Strings and Woodwinds in F major, Op. 73a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: USSR 17. Chamber Symphony in D major, Op. 83a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: USSR ■ Notes: This work is Rudolf Barshai's arrangement of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 4. 18. Chamber Symphony in C major, Op. 49a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1960; USSR 19. Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1960; USSR ■ Notes: This work is Rudolf Barshai's 1960 arrangement of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8. 20. Chamber Symphony in A flat major, Op. 118a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Rudolf Barshai ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1964; USSR ■ Notes: This work is Rudolf Barshai's 1964 arrangement of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 10. 21. Suite for Jazz Orchestra no 2, Op. 50b by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1938; USSR 22. Suite for Jazz Orchestra no 1, Op. 38b by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1934; USSR 23. Bolt Suite, Op. 27a "Ballet Suite no 5" by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1933; USSR 24. Limpid Stream Suite, Op. 39a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1945; USSR 25. Age of Gold Suite, Op. 22a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1930; USSR 26. Hamlet: Suite, Op. 32a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1932; USSR 27. Gadfly Suite, Op. 97a by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Conductor: Theodore Kuchar ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1955; USSR 28. Concerto for Piano no 1 in C minor, Op. 35 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Cristina Ortiz (Piano) ■ Conductor: Paavo Berglund ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1933; USSR 29. Concerto for Piano no 2 in F major, Op. 102 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Cristina Ortiz (Piano) ■ Conductor: Paavo Berglund ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1957; USSR 30. Fantastic Dances (3) for Piano, Op. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Cristina Ortiz (Piano) ■ Conductor: Paavo Berglund ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1922; USSR 31. Concerto for Violin no 1 in A minor, Op. 77 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: David Oistrakh (Violin) ■ Conductor: Yevgeny Mravinsky ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: USSR ■ Notes: This concerto was originally published in 1956 as Op. 99. ■ Composition written: USSR (1947 - 1955). 32. Concerto for Violin no 2 in C sharp minor, Op. 129 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: David Oistrakh (Violin) ■ Conductor: Gennadi Rozhdestvensky ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonia Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1967; USSR 33. Concerto for Cello no 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Alexander Ivashkin (Cello) ■ Conductor: Valeri Polyanskii ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Moscow Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1959; USSR 34. Concerto for Cello no 2 in G major, Op. 126 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Alexander Ivashkin (Cello) ■ Conductor: Valeri Polyanskii ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Moscow Symphony Orchestra ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1966; USSR 35. Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 57 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Godfried Hoogeveen (Cello), Paul Rosenthal (Violin), Edward Auer (Piano), ■ Christiaan Bor (Violin), Marcus Thompson (Viola) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1940; USSR 36. Trio for Piano and Strings no 2 in E minor, Op. 67 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Nathaniel Rosen (Cello), Edward Auer (Piano), Christiaan Bor (Violin) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1944; USSR 37. Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Ronald Brautigam (Piano), Isabelle van Keulen (Violin) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1968; USSR 38. Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Ronald Brautigam (Piano), Isabelle van Keulen (Viola) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1975; USSR 39. Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Klára Würtz (Piano), Timora Rosler (Cello) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1934; USSR 40. Sonata for Piano no 2 in B minor, Op. 61 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Timora Rosler (Cello), Colin Stone (Piano) ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1942; USSR 41. Quartet for Strings no 2 in A major, Op. 68 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1944; USSR 42. Quartet for Strings no 8 in C minor, Op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1960; USSR 43. Quartet for Strings no 13 in B flat minor, Op. 138 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1970; USSR 44. Quartet for Strings no 3 in F major, Op. 73 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1946; USSR 45. Quartet for Strings no 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1960; USSR 46. Quartet for Strings no 9 in E flat major, Op. 117 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1964; USSR 47. Quartet for Strings no 11 in F minor, Op. 122 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1966; USSR 48. Quartet for Strings no 12 in D flat major, Op. 133 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1968; USSR 49. Quartet for Strings no 4 in D major, Op. 83 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Dirk Van de Velde (Violin), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Peter Devos (Cello) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1949; USSR 50. Quartet for Strings no 6 in G major, Op. 101 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), Dirk Van de Velde (Violin), Peter Devos (Cello), ■ Marc Sonnaert (Viola) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1956; USSR 51. Quartet for Strings no 10 in A flat major, Op. 118 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1964; USSR 52. Quartet for Strings no 1 in C major, Op. 49 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1935; USSR 53. Quartet for Strings no 14 in F sharp major, Op. 142 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Peter Devos (Cello), Dirk Van de Velde (Violin), ■ Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1973; USSR 54. Quartet for Strings no 15 in E flat minor, Op. 144 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), Dirk Van de Velde (Violin), ■ Peter Devos (Cello) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1974; USSR 55. Quartet for Strings no 5 in B flat major, Op. 92 by Dmitri Shostakovich ■ Performer: Peter Devos (Cello), Marc Sonnaert (Viola), Dirk Van den Hauwe (Violin), ■ Dirk Van de Velde (Violin) ■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Rubio String Quartet ■ Period: 20th Century ■ Written: 1952; USSR