Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 [Box set]

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 65 (Stalingrad)
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava)
Conducted by Ladislav Slovak

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegro
Moderato
Presto
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Adagio
Allegretto
Allegro Non Troppo
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegro
Allegretto
Andante: Allegro

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

Babi Yar
Humor
At The Store
Fears
Career

Tracks:

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

The Wonderful World of Classical Music (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

The Wonderful World of Classical Music (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005YKWJ
Release Date: 2000-07-10

Average customer rating:

Rough-Edged, but Compelling

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Arnold: The Complete Symphonies

ASIN: B00005QISC
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

Allegretto Poco Moderato
Moderato Con Moto
Largo-Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegretto
Largo
Allegro Non Troppo
Allegro
Moderato
Presto
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Largo
Allegro
Presto
Revolutionary Petrograd
Razliv
Aurora
Dawn Of Humanity

Tracks:

Allegretto
Moderato (Poco Allegretto)
Adagio
Allegro Non Troppo

Tracks:

Adagio
Allegretto
Allegro Non Troppo
Largo
Allegretto

Tracks:

Moderato
Allegro
Allegretto
Andante: Allegro

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

Average customer rating:

There are better - but not at this price!

Shostakovich: Symphonies (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Symphony No 1
Symphony No 2
Symphony No 3
Symphony No 4
Symphony No 5
Symphony No 6
Symphony No 7
Leningrad
Symphony No 8
Symphony No 9
Symphony No 10
Symphony No 11
The Year 1905
Symphony No 12
The Year 1917
To The Memory Of Lenin
Symphony No 13
Chorus & Orchestra Op 113
Symphony No 14
Strings & Percussion Op 135
Symphony No 15

Album Description

One of the most exciting releases of brilliant classics this year - the Complete Symphonies of Dmitry Shostakovich, one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. 11 standard jewel cases housed in a slipbox. WDR. 1998.

Customer Reviews:

There are better - but not at this price! .......2006-03-14

Barshai and Shostakovich were long associates, and Barshai's farmiliarity shows right through this set, which pulls the best out of a mid-ranking German regional orchestra. The real strengths of this set are its remarkable consistency of conducting, playing and sound quality over such a long cycle - none of it absolutely mindblowing, but all of it very good. The discs were originally released as single CDs over a 6 year period which probably helped keep conductor and orchestra fresh.

Its main rivals are the Naxos CSPO set which, sorry, doesn't begin to compare either in terms of performance or recording quality, and the Haitinck which costs considerably more.

It is thin on background material, but then again so much Shostakovich background remains disputed that most synopses fall down by presenting only one side of the argument anyway.

This boxed set has become my 'core' set for symphonies by my favourite composer - and it costs barely more than a full price version of a single long symphony. Just don't give yourself indigestion if you're new to Shostakovich - 5, 7, 10 and this wonderful interpretation of 15 are the ones to start with. The 'clockwork' fading out at the end of the last symphony, with Shostakovich aware that he way dying, is absolutely haunting.

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15; Song of the Forests (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Let the buyer beware, part II
Let the buyer beware

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15; Song of the Forests (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0006SSOKO
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Customer Reviews:

Let the buyer beware, part II.......2007-06-03

I know the review of the prior person will annoy Mravinsky's afficionados -- and I am one of them, but his obliterating Shostakovich readings are only partially reflected in this okay boxset...Why ok only? for three series of reasons: the first are musical. Sorry guys but the "Song of the Forest" and "Symphony #11 '1905' are Soviet propaganda at their worst and, in the latter, my belief is that Shosta's art doesn't score above a John Williams on a bad day. Interestingly enough, in the more concise Symphony #12 '1917', he is at his enthusiastic best and the sound of the Leningrader is absolutely increible: a masterful work and a masterful CD. The second series of reasons relates to the performances: Shosta's 5th symphony was one of Mravinsky's repertoire centerpiece. But have you ever heard uglier strings in the first movement? for someone who prepared his orchestra like there is no tomorrow, this is surprising. Maybe the sound engineer has some responsibility...maybe it is the studio -- which Mravinsky will abandon several years later for the benefit of concert recordings only...anyway this is surprising. Even if the tension increases to reach beautiful climaxes in the slow movement and in the finale, this is definitely not a memorable 5th. The third series of reasons are technical: the 8th is recorded, one feels, with a filter in front of the mike and has the dynamics of a 1913 acoustic recording...this adds insult to injury to Mravinsky's memory.
Of course, elsewhere in the boxset you will have the most beautiful Symphony #7 ever recorded, a great #10, a magnificent, so lyrical #15 and a superb #6...but is a Mravinsky/Shostakovich boxset fully successful when #5 and #8 are not successful? Considering the weight of these two pieces in Shostakovich's glory as a composer and of Mravinsky's glory as a conductor, the asnwer has t be "no"...There are plenty other essential Mravinsky recordings of the 8th (REGIS IMPORTS)or the 5th (ELATUS, PRAGA) to go for. Separately try to get hold of the 7th, the 10th, the 12th and the 15th from this boxset.

Let the buyer beware.......2007-04-03

I have been waiting for this set for some time. I believe it is out of ptint but Amazon says thay have it, so I ordered. It arrived in suprising condition. The box was open and had scratches. The CD's seem to be OK. As far as the performances are concered they are good but there are better, modern versions. The sound is just fair and Mravinsky's conducting is good but not exceptional. This is for collectors only.

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1-15; Orchestral Works (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Rozhdestvensky's excellent Shostakovich cycle
A collection that fills an important gap

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1-15; Orchestral Works (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004TCPW
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Customer Reviews:

Rozhdestvensky's excellent Shostakovich cycle.......2007-03-15

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky's Shostakovich symphony cycle from the 1980s is, in my view, one of the three best cycles. These three are, in my preference order:

1. Kondrashin (originally Melodiya, now Russiandvd - a new remaster, available from Amazon sellers and at Ebay).

2. Rozhdestvensky (originally Melodiya, but it exists now also in a new Russian remaster from the VENEZIA label, in a fine slimline box which you can find at HMV's internet shop in Japan or at Ebay).

3. Barshai (originally Regis, now in a Brilliant Classics box.)

The standard bargain choice is the Barshai box, which boasts very fine playing and fine sound. Kondrashin, my first choice, is quite expensive. But the Rozhdestvensky set should not be overlooked. First, the interpretations are both illuminating and moving, carefully structured and (mostly) beautifully played by a real Russian orchestra in fine form. Second, the new remaster - available at Ebay and at HMV in Japan - is a real bargain. You may grab it for $ 30 or less. Third, the remastered sound is mostly OK, even if Melodiya's original recordings are a bit harsh. However, this is a minor complaint. Kondrashin's set has much worse sound and costs more money. But in both cases, we have excellent, classical, powerful interpretations that hardly can be surpassed.

Shostakovich collectors need all cycles above, of course. But I warmly recommend a serious search for Gennadi Rozhdestvensky's excellent cycle in its new incarnation.

A collection that fills an important gap.......2000-06-27

This collection comes in a box with seven double-discs, each with a booklet describing the work and about the conductor's relationship with the composer and his work by Sigrid Neef. No librettos are enclosed, which does hamper the full appreciation, although fans are likely to have copies of a few of these works lying about. Although all of these recordings have appeared in other guises and formats, this remarkable collection is worthy of consideration. Rozhdestvensky had an interesting relationship with the composer, although never given the opportunity to premier his major symphonic works, the conductor was of critical importance in reviving the "lost" or "unknown" Shostakovich. Rozhdestvensky's excavation into the composer's past resulted in premiering or reviving a vast body of work. An example of this is displayed on, although not limited to, the "Orchestral Works." This conductors travails through the complete symphonies are not likely to be first choice for many, however, this collection does offer a chance to hear a 1980's Soviet run through of one of the most important symphonic cycles of the 20th century.

Music Review:

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