Shostakovich: Symphony No.5, Op.47

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leonard Slatkin

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 In D Minor, Op.47: I. Moderato
Symphony No.5 In D Minor, Op.47: II. Allegretto
Symphony No.5 In D Minor, Op.47: III. Largo
Symphony No. 5 In D MInor, Op.47: IV. Allegro non troppo
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 - Allegro

Amazon.com

Gorgeously recorded so that all of Shostakovich's eerieness of texture (and harps) can be heard, Haitink's performance of the Fifth symphony is pretty wonderful. The bare landscape of the first movement, with its lonely oboe solos, leads into the very Mahlerian, faux-fun second movement with creepy ease. The Largo is introverted but poignant, with handsome, sustained pianissimo playing, and the finale has great energy, but not quite enough of the grotesque--it's a bit too well-groomed. The Ninth, on the other hand, is ideal, with a finale to rollick over, and a refusal to turn the sometimes sappy second movement into empty emotion. It's one of those moments when Haitink's coolness pays off. A good buy. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

One of my favourite symphonies.......2007-01-24

I'm not going to debate who's interpretation of Shostakovich's symphonies is best as some reviewers have. I'll simply say this: the fifth symphony is among my favourite of all symphonies by anyone. I highly reccomend it, whether it is this recording or another one. However, without going into issues of interpretation, I will say that the recording quality on this CD is very good.

Five stars for a sparkling, vivacious Ninth, but set a snooze alarm for the Fifth.......2006-07-20

Here we have one triumphant Shostakovich performance and one nearly inexcusable one. The praise that Haitink's Shostakovich Fifth has garnered here is inexplicable--this is a plodding reading that barely gets on its legs for the entire first movement. Don't the reviewers below detect the total absence of rhythmic vitality and pace? I guess not. Oh well, one person's nobility is another's long nap.

The Scherzo clumps along well enough, but without bite or satire. The centerpiece of Haitink's interpertation is a hushed, singing slow movement expressed with great refinement, if a bit blandly. The finale, needless to say, is among the slowest, but there's so much impact in the brass playing that excitement is generated without undue speed. It will appeal to the tortoise-wins-the-race crowd. The Concertgebouw plays beautifully throughout, and is strikingly captured by Decca's engineers.

Fortunately, the skies brighten with Haitink's Shostakovich Ninth from the London Phil., his second orchestra. It's so good-humored and light on its feet that you are constantly smiling. Tempos are fast, the mood sprightly--Haitink was wise, I thin, not to take the more serious approach adopted by Bernstein and Gergiev. Good as the sonics are for the Fifth, these are of demonstration quality, with loads of inner detail and perfect clarity. The orchestra seems to relish every bar. They should send condolence notes to their counterparts in Amsterdam.

How odd of Decca to pair the very worst of Haitink's cycle with the very best.

A Soviet Artist's Response to Just Criticism?!.......2006-02-25

The Symphony No. 5 is one of Shostakovich's greatest masterpieces, which can hardly be ascertained from its origins as a piece to satisfy the Soviet state's artistically stifling demands in music (for example, all other aspects of music had to be subordinate to melody). The previous year Shostakovich was savagely attacked in the Pravda for his opera `Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District', primarily because Stalin was shocked by its graphic sex and violence, and the fifth symphony was Shostakovich's reaction to this scathing criticism. (He was undoubtedly aware that the article extended further than trying to damage his confidence, if he didn't produce music along the lines of the states prerequisites he would be imprisoned or killed.)

It received the expected reaction: Rostropovich claimed that the ovation lasted for an hour. Whatever optimism and buoyancy the Soviet authorities may have seen in it; to me it seems more like a comic satire. The opening of the quasi-triumphant finale seems like a bitter, lacerating march fit to represent snide ridicule at its own hollow pomposity. This soon gives way to angry explosions in the brass which speak more of fury and violence than joyous optimism. Shostakovich himself said, `There is a feeling of rejoicing, but it is one of forced rejoicing. It is as if someone is hitting you over the head with an iron bar telling you "Your business is rejoicing" over and over again. Eventually, you walk away muttering "My business is rejoicing".'

The first movement is sombre and claustrophobic with its incessantly repeated, probing string melodies which for me speak of desolation and broken, empty landscapes, dead trees etc. etc. ... There are searching, melancholy oboe solos, warm horn chords, urgent string crescendos, pizzicato strings, pseudo-miliatary trumpet and snare drum jollity, and massive anger expressed through explosive brass. But it is also undoubtedly beautifully melodic, as is the entire symphony, and the symphony features enough material in major keys to bespeak at least forced hopefullness.

The second movement is brisk, occasionally pungently Russian, and bursting with Shostakovich's `forced' joy: an effect which is achieved through near superimposition of the melancholy and the mirthful; the minor and the major etc. The third movement can be summarised as one of subdued melancholy.

Haitink's performance is excellent, crystal clear, never over dramatic, and expressing the music with perfect musicianship and feeling. In comparison with this performance Bernstein's is demure, seeming like a piece designed more at ostentatious display than power and dignity. All I can say is buy this disk!!! You won't regret it.

Superb interpretation and ultra superb recording.......2006-01-09

I wish that Haitink made more amazing recordings like this one of the 5th and 9th symphonies by Shostakovich. He is usually thought of as being in the top rank of conductors, but by hearing this disc, you might think that he's just about the best. Maybe the amazing sound quality kind of makes him look good, but not really, this is just a greatly played superb interpretation. The Concertgebouw (which by the way is my favorite Orchestra at the present time) are on their toes throughout this version of the 5th. They are just truly amazing here, just as they are on most occasions. Did you know that this recording won the Gramaphone top prize for it's sound engineering? That was no surprise to me! Haitink alternated between the Concertgebouw and London Philharmonic for this symphony cycle, and of course the Londoners are in really fine form also, but still not the equal (in my opinion) of this fine dutch orchestra. I've never been quite so impressed with a classical cd's sound quality, except for a few cds of the conductors Christopher Hogwood and Trevor Pinnock. I haven't heard more than 8 or 9 different versions of the 5th, but this and Semyon Bychkov's version with the BPO in 1986 are my favorites at the present time. I think the Bychkov version has almost as good sound quality, and it's severely underrated, because I've never heard the Penguin Guide or any other classical magazine rate it, which is quite crazy, because it's a bold blistering performance that does deserve very high praise. This is also one of the best 9th's out there, but that is a symphony that I have not listened to very much to this point in my life, though I plan to listen to it more very soon. Haitink pretty much can't do wrong when he's conducting Bruckner or Shostakovich, but it you haven't listened to his Bruckner or Shostakovich, do yourself a favor and buy some, because he's definitely one of the top interpreters there are. If nothing else buy this for the demonstration sound quality, and I'm sure you'll fall in love with this incredible disc. ENJOY!!!

Incredible!!!.......2004-09-16

Few superlatives can match the incredible performances which Haitink achieves in Number 5...this has long been one of my favorite recordings for various reasons. Simply put the winds and brass and strings are all on the same waveleagnth...there is not a single phrase in this performance that isn't perfect. On top of this are the incredible heights of the DECCA recording which matches perfectly the great scores.

As to Nine I also love Bernstein in NY...here it also well recorded too. The London Phil plays brilliantly here as well!!

Average customer rating:

Good in quality, typically unusual Bernstein style.
Concerning tempos
an incorrect interpretation
New York saves Bernstein
A moment in history, but not as riveting as before

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9

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Amazon.com essential recording

Leonard Bernstein's performances of Shostakovich were almost as highly regarded as his Mahler. This performance of the Fifth Symphony was the highlight of his celebrated tour of the Soviet Union with the New York Philharmonic in 1959. The composer himself attended the performances and approved of Bernstein's interpretation, which is the exact opposite of the traditional Russian one. Rather than take the finale ponderously, Bernstein flies through the music at a frantic pace, carrying it forward with irresistible momentum. The Ninth Symphony is the composer's lightest and most carefree. Bernstein walks the fine line between humor and seriousness with acrobatic skill. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Good in quality, typically unusual Bernstein style........2006-11-12

Shostakovich's music (especially the symhonies) is filled with wit and sarchasm, but this recording does not express these aspects. It takes just about all of the music at the kind of brisk pace more appropriate for period performances of pieces like Beethoven's earlier symphonies. One of the things strongly emphasized in this piece is the competition between the lower and higher pitches, and the dynamics of this performance are relatively flat and don't emphasize this. Also, I MUCH prefer the more modern ironic interpretation of the finale, wich is featured in Rostrapovich's recording, among others. Here, Bernstein seems to raise the tempo MUCH faster in the finale in order to force it to be a triumph that it simply is not. I highly recommend Rostropovich's recent recording of this work with the LSO.

Concerning tempos.......2006-04-18

Regarding tempos: yes, this Bernstein recording is famous for being rather quick. Though these ARE the tempos Shostakovitch has down in the score. Most people now take it much slower, and that way is considered 'correct.' FWIW.

an incorrect interpretation.......2006-01-19

The Shostakovich 5th is interpreted incorrectly. The tempos are always way too fast. Bernstein perhaps should have done more research before he conducted this Shostakovich. The ending is misleading. Because of the fast tempo, there lacks sorrow and pain. Buy the Rostropovich recording instead.

New York saves Bernstein .......2006-01-15

I am not here to dispute the great talent of the all-American musical hero Leonard Bernstein. A man far above the rest as far as skill and attention to detail is concerned but as for this recording there are many dissapointing aspects of the interpretation. The Ninth is done quite well. Although it does feel slightly bland and downright boring at times, I attribute this to my own personal preference. The orchestra performs superbly and Bernstein is in his element amongst this famed group of musicians. All in all, this is a solid recording of the Ninth.
It is the Fifth that completely turned me off to this recording. The interpretation was completely headstrong (a Bernstein-ian trait that is very well done in some works but goes way overboard in this Symphony) and at times careless. The tempos that Bernstein employs are much too fast and tend to waver slightly. For instance, the second movt. of the Fifth is a driving introduction introduced by low strings. At the outset, it is much too fast. As the theme is introduced a little later on, the speed is such that the orchestra cannot execute the passages cleanly and this creates a jumble of muddy orchestral sound not up to N.Y. Phil. standards. At the end of this passage, just before the entrance of the horns, there is an anticlimatic fall in the sound. As the bones and tuba have the descending line there is almost a decresendo in the sound rather than a building. This makes the entrance for horns sound quite out of place and overblown. The other movts. tend to fare slightly better, all except the last. While I do like the driving, intimidating tempo of the opening very much, there isn't much else musically that is appealing. The orchestra continues to play beautifully under the somewhat healed interpretation that Bernstein has gained since previous movts. But just when the music becomes its most enthralling, it seems that Lenny gets bored. The final chords of dissonance (the ones thought to represent the screams of Stalin's victims underneath a false hope and happiness) are bowled over. There is no feeling or passion invoked, just the notes on the page. Over all, I was quite dissapointed in the interpretation. The playing was good, if not up to the standards that are the Phil. For me, the orchestra was what shined in this recording, not Bernstein.
I'm not knocking Lenny. I have many amazing recordings of his other works that are beautiful and full of soul and passion. This one lacks in that respect. If you are looking for a wonderful interpretation of the Fifth, pick up LSO's live recording with Rostropovich. Amazing and right on the money, in my opinion.

A moment in history, but not as riveting as before.......2005-11-12

From the mid-Fifties to the mid-Sixties Leonard Bernstein had a complete grip on any "young people"--he didn't call us kids--who wanted to fall in love with classical music. It's hard to turn your back on the influence that shaped your taste, and this Shostakovich 5th was for an entire geneeration the very first time they had heard the work, or any Shostakovich symphony.

The detractors here are right in some respects. The sound, though detailed, is thin and noticeably shrill in the upper strings at forte or louder (they should have heard it before Sony's remastering). There is no muddiness in the bass, however. Bernstein doesn't see this as a savagely ironic or menacing work. But he still conceives a full specturm of emotions: The first movement is lyrical and reflective before the sudden intrusion of a powerful but not threatening march. The Scherzo is paced at medium speed and crisply played but again without satire or menace--LB was almost always positive in this phase of his career, the "Joy of Music" phase.

The Largo is tender, almost dreamy, taken broadly but without a hint of inward grief or respite from the preceding eruptions as some conductors play it. The finale, the touchstone of this performance, is exuberantly fast and triumphant. It comes off as a fitting conclusion--the only possible conclusion--to Bernstein's whole approach. He had no intention of using the Shostakovich 5th as a jab against the Soviet regime, and there's a good chance that the composer didn't, either. This was the work, after all, that he presented to regain favor with Stalin and his apparatchiks.

I must admit that I've gorwn to admire more intensely expressed performances that cover the political ground with a range of bitter, sorrowing, and satiric emotions. Bernstein's vision seems more limited, the piece less significant in his hands. But this was a moment that I can't quite shake.

Average customer rating:

One of my all time favorite recordings!
One of Rostropovich's Best Recordings
But at what sound!
Powerful
a gorgeous, powerful performance

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

Manufacturer: Lso Live UK
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Rostropovich's authority in Shostakovich's music dates back to his Soviet days and his friendship with the composer. So it comes as no surprise that this, his third recording of the Fifth Symphony, may also be his best, blessed with a fully matured interpretation, the excitement of a live concert, and a first-class orchestra. There's a grimness of approach that registers with the low, rumbling notes of the opening movement and doesn't stop until the final hammer blows of a decidedly ironic finale are sounded. There's a Mahlerian spaciousness in a long first movement packed with incident, along with a relentlessness shared with the sardonic last movement. While a bit more uncouth wildness wouldn't be out of place in the bitterly sarcastic Allegretto, Rostropovich's slower-than-usual tempo does allow for more careful delineation of detail. The brooding Largo is powerful, and the last movement makes a tremendous impact. The LSO is outstanding, with well-turned solos and the terrific brass section making hay with its opportunities in the outer movements. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

One of my all time favorite recordings!.......2006-11-12

This recording impeccably expresses all of effects and affects in this work: joy, wit, fear, sadness, sarchasm, and bitter irony. Many other interpretations seem to treet this piece more as a collection of melodies, but this interpretation expresses the sinister sneering of the lower octaves of the piano in the first movement, and the epic rises and falls between trebble and bass, the infectuous fun of the second movement's dancing up and down the octaves, the brooding of the third movement, the signaling of the fanfare of the typical Beethovenian finale, the changing of tone as this falls to the sneering of the bass, and the sarchasm of the timpani in the final cadential notes of the piece, ending the piece on more of an uneasy question mark than on the forced exclamation point heard in other interpretations.
The tempo is very natural; it never feels rushed, and yet the music keeps flowing steadilly. I have 4 complete recordings of this work: this one conducted by Rostropovich, the one from the Kondrashin set, the one from the Barshai set, and the one by Bernstein that seems to get the best reviews. I am also an audiophile and have a decent system, decent enough to be dissapointed int the recording quality of many of my classical recordings - in particular, many digital recordings tend to sound irritatingly dry and glassy. This recording is among the absolute best I have in terms of sound quality; sound quality really doesn't get much better than this, it's lucious. Unless there is something faily specific you're looking for in a recording of this work, you will not be dissapointed.

One of Rostropovich's Best Recordings.......2006-05-01

Acclaimed cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich leads the London Symphony Orchestra in a vibrant performance that should be regarded as distinguished for the conductor's emphasis of the score's rich architecture, via somewhat slower tempi than similar recordings I have heard from the likes of Leonard Bernstein and Bernard Haitink. Still, Rostropovich manages to capture the spacious, almost Mahlerian, quality of the symphony's first movement. The symphony's second movement sounds like some crazy dance mixed with drunken waltz and march rhythms, with less than a brisk Allegretto tempo than I have heard elsewhere, but under Rostropovich's superb conducting, it still sounds quite credible. For me, the most viscerally moving movement is the symphony's third movement, a Largo which is emphasized via Rostropovich's slow tempi, accentuating the score's pathos and despair. The symphony's fourth movement is a dazzling rush of sound, with an ending that sounds most reminiscent of the final notes of Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra. Composed in 1937, Shostakovich's 5th Symphony was his understated tribute to fellow Soviet citizens ensnared by the deadly bureaucracy of Stalin's dictatorship. Needless to say, Rostropovich has led the London Symphony Orchestra in a quite moving, dramatic performance of this symphony that has been recorded well by the LSO Live sound engineers. Indeed, without question, this splendid performance is Rostropovich's dignified musical tribute to his late friend and mentor, Dmitri Shostakovich.

But at what sound!.......2006-03-05

No qualms on the performance. My deep reservations pertain these awful LSO live recordings; horribly dry this time, no bloom, no perspective, everything flat. Kills the performance. Shostakovich symphonies need much better, and at any price.

Powerful.......2005-08-09

I heard it live in London with same conductor. Unforgettable. A fine recording.

a gorgeous, powerful performance.......2005-05-30

This is the third recording Mstislav Rostropovich has made of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, and of the three it is the most beautiful. The LSO's musicians are superb, and Rostropovich, who knew Shostakovich and knows what the symphony is about, leads them in one of the best performances available. Why then only 4 stars? The problem is, Rostropovich is competing against himself. His first recording with his National Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C. in 1983 is the most powerful performance of the many I have heard. It is not beautiful, but given the nature and subject of the work, beautiful is not the most important attribute -- what it has is relentless momentum and streamlined power. It is the most complete realization of Rostropovich's vision of the 5th. Unfortunately that DG disc is out of print.

Of the currently available recordings, this one, live in July 2004, takes its place as one of the finest, along with Mravinsky, Haitink and Gergiev (see my reviews). If you have not heard the 5th, or if you are collecting superior versions, do not hesitate! So far, Rostropovich and the LSO have brought forth great Shostakovich in the LSO Live series -- their 11th Symphony is one of the finest ever (see my review). In July we have their latest, the 8th Symphony, to look forward to!

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

Average customer rating:

Great Classic Themes
Simply Wonderful!
Simply Wonderful!
Halloween!!!!!!

Most Frightening Music in the Universe

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Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Great Classic Themes.......2006-09-11

This is an awesome collection of unsettling melodies from the masters, not just some horror movie themes (though it does have some Psyco). You will end up playing a round of "Where have I heard that score before?" because these melodies are very iconic.
The only complaint is that the track listing is somewhat occult. One has to use amazon.com's track listings and fill in the numbers.
Still, this is a great buy!!

Simply Wonderful!.......2006-05-18

I would like to begin my review of this wonderful CD by stating that I am not a "kid." (unless you consider a 14-year-old to still be a child) I am, however, too lazy too start a new Amazon.com account before typing about this great CD.

Now then... In my eyes, this CD recieved 5 stars because of (what else!) the music. The quality of the music to be more specific. The sound of it was great and the selection of the pieces was pure genius. My personal favorite would have to be a three-way tie between Bach's Toccata and Fugue, Dukas' Sorceror's Apprentice, and Stravinsky's The Right of Spring.

I will leave you tonight with one final thought... Is it just me, or are most of the pieces from "Fantasia"? At least 7 (!) of the pieces are from that age-old classic. I think it's funny that they are on a collection such as "The Most Frightening Music in the Universe". And could the cover art be any worse?!

All in all it is a great CD to add to any collection. (and cheap!) Thanks!

-Smith

Simply Wonderful!.......2006-05-18

Halloween!!!!!!.......2006-04-02

This Is Great i love Classical and halloween is my favorite holiday its great!! great collection

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Festive Overture, Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

Excellent Lesser-Known Shostakovich Fifth

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Festive Overture, Orchestral Works
Dmitry Shostakovich , Vladimir Ashkenazy , Riccardo Chailly , Mikhail Pletnev , Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra , Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , and Russian National Orchestra
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Customer Reviews:

Excellent Lesser-Known Shostakovich Fifth.......2004-08-09

This CD features a recording of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony by Vladmir Ashkenazy and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra that should go down as one of the greats. Throughout, Ashkenazy employs the most perfect tempos imaginable, which is what makes this recording stand out above the rest. The first movement march has never sounded this well-integrated into the rest of the movement, creating an exciting and menacing effect. Ashkenazy doesn't rush through it like Bernstein did in his famous 1959 recording.The scherzo has just the right tempo, again surpassing Bernstein's rush-job. The largo is dramatic, without being overblown, like Bernstein's recording. Most satisfying, the finale comes in at just the right tempo (10:57), sounding triumphant, without removing the edge of irony behind it. The sound quality is solid, but not great for a digital recording, but this shouldn't bother most people. This recording--previously out of print--was given very high praise by Gramophone magazine (www.gramophone.co.uk) and was specifically pointed out as an antidote to Bernstein's overrated performance in their review of the latter.
The remaining short orchestral works are given stunning performances in even better digital sound, proving that Shostakovich knew how to write light, fun music as much as serious symphonies and concertos. Ultimately, this CD is worth it just for the outstanding Fifth Symphony

Average customer rating:

Executive Party
Great Album
Preston's Tocata IS the Tocata!
Finally!!!
Finally!!!

Rollerball

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Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5: Fourth Movement

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Director Norman Jewison's original 1975 Rollerball was an odd mix; half action thriller (about a future blood sport that crossbred the most violent aspects of roller derby and hockey), half futurist cautionary tale (about the dangers of all-encroaching corporate power and the decadent elite who wield it). In retrospect, it was all too prescient on both counts. It also marked one of the last major Hollywood forays of conductor-composer Andre Prévin, who conducted the film's pastiche of Bach (the ominous if clichéd Toccata and Fugue in D Minor served as the game's theme), Albinoni (the Adagio is the film's main theme), Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich. The soundtrack was produced in the wake of Kubrick's epochal uses of classical music in scoring his near-future epics 2001 and A Clockwork Orange, and the inspiration and intent here is obvious. Previn added three brief cues of his own (the evocative, modernist "Glass Sculpture" and the kitschy funk-exotica of "Executive Party" and "Executive Party Dance"). With the London Symphony under his baton, the veteran Previn produces an effective version of the Adagio and wrings appropriate drama from the Russian works as well. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Executive Party.......2004-10-07

I bought this album for the psychedelic lounge "Executive Party" and "Executive Party Dance" tracks. Everything else is classical soundtrack fodder. Two cool tracks does not a cool album make.

It's almost worth having in your collection just for the sake of being odd (a classical album with spiked-gauntlet roller derby warriors in the liner notes?), if that's your thing. Just don't expect to listen to it.

If somebody knows of albums that capture the sound of the two tracks I mentioned above... THAT album would be golden.

Great Album.......2004-05-06

Previn scored a superb psychedelic funk track in "Executive Party Dance". Sparse, with great wah guitar and analogue synth, pick up this album for that track alone!!!

Preston's Tocata IS the Tocata!.......2002-06-28

I've loved Rollerball since I was 10 years old. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and a 70's Sci-Fi classic - truly underrated! I have the DVD and I watch it regularly and it grips me everytime. The Jewison commentary is awesome!

I managed to get a vinyl copy of the album a couple years ago. It was badly scratched, but I did not care.

Why I like the album is one simple reason - Preston's rendition of Tocatta & Fugue in D Minor. In my opinion, it IS the Tocata. No other version by any other artist compares. It was worth the whole album just for that.

It also teaches me that there is good in every situation. Although the re-make of the movie was not received well, without the re-make, I don't know if this CD would ever have been re-released.

Finally!!!.......2002-05-26

After hoping what seemed to be a pointless hope the soundtrack for the mid-70's masterful movie of the same name has reappeared out of nowhere. So Norman Jewison and others finally realized that movie soundtracks like this are hardly released anymore owing an exceptional quality to the enormous use of classical masterpieces on here? Once one knows the movie one relives the accompanying scenes upon playback. Bach's Tocatta in D minor played at nearly perfect pace( the piece is often sped up by organists the world over leaving out the reverberating omniscience of the chords), one imagines the clean silent rollerbal track before speed, blood, and power have been ridden over it. The soundtrack is worth it for this track alone. Several of Shostakovich's works, some more beautiful than others, as well as two seveties party-funk pieces composed by Andre Previn showing that the composer's talents were not only limited to the classical convervatorium of music, but that he also had a keen ear for the contemporary. One can imagine the decadent drugged out rollerballers and their girlfriends mingling with the executives in tuxedos with no-back dresses. The soundtrack is at once a homage to the tragedies of violence and power and their existential effects. The choice of music carries the sheer might of the game scenes as well the quiet reflections that pervade James Caan's character throughout the film.

Finally!!!.......2002-05-26

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Orchestra Excerpts for Viola

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

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945

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Khachaturian: Gayne Ballet Music; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

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Colorful Khachaturian ... sh**ty Shostakovich
A Vintage, but Rivetting Performance
Get Mercury Living Presence Before Its Dead

Khachaturian: Gayne Ballet Music; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

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Customer Reviews:

Colorful Khachaturian ... sh**ty Shostakovich.......2007-06-26

The Gayne excerpts just don't get any more exciting than in this vibrant performance by Antal Dorati and the LSO at the peak of this orchestra's powers in the 1960s. The Shostakovich 5th is another story. Not only is Skrowaczewski's interpretation devoid of any special spark, it's clear that he had much less command or discipline over the Minneapolis forces compared to his predecessor (coincidentally, Antal Dorati). Contrast the orchestra here with the last recordings made by Dorati in Minneapolis, and you'll immediately hear the difference (a useful comparison is with the Dorati/MSO Prokofiev 5th). Here in the Shostakovich, the violins sound scrawny, the brass blatty, and the woodwinds too tentative. In later years, SS was to get better playing out of this orchestra, but the results were never much better than mediocre -- even after spending years at the helm (he was music director for nineteen l-o-n-g years; ask any MSO players or regular concert-goers how interminable his tenure seemed, and I'm sure they'll let you know!).

This is a rare dud in Mercury's otherwise exemplary Living Presence classical series.

A Vintage, but Rivetting Performance.......2005-07-07

While the combination of the ebullient Khachaturian and the introspective Shostakovich is a stark contrast, this remastered performance certainly has a lot to offer. The LSO combines a folk-tune feeling, technical prowess, and just a dash of necessary annoyance to make Gayane an entertaining, if raucous show. The well-known Sabre Dance is lively and energetic, and some of the lesser known dances (such as the Dance of the Rose Maidens and the Lullaby) are both unique and colorful. The final tune, Lezghinka, breezes by with powerful (but controlled) snare drum and splendid runs in the strings.

Skrowaczewski leads the Minneapolis Symphony in a divergent, yet vibrant Shostakovich Symphony. More than the previous suite, this performance suffers from harmonic distortion (primarily in the occasionally brash trumpets and often tinny violins), but it is evident that the orchestra is not responsible for this. The horns are tragically underbalanced in vital, exposed sections of the second movement. The piece as a whole is highly impressive and worthy of study by any fan of the Shostakovich Fifth, especially for Skrowaczewski's novel interpretation of tempos in the well-known finale.

Get Mercury Living Presence Before Its Dead.......2003-07-14

When I first started collecting classical CDs, I only had a few Mercury Living Presence (MLP) titles. In my quest to get the absolute best, or at least a definitive recording, of the major works of the standard repertoire, MLP discs rarely topped the critics' lists. In fact, only three MLP recordings have been earmarked as "Essential Recordings" by amazon -- Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Byron Janis performing Rachmaninov's 2nd & 3rd Piano Concertos, and Yehudi Menuhin performing Bartok's 2nd Violin Concerto, all three with Antal Dorati as conductor. It is also safe to say that three other titles are equally essential for their historical value alone. They are Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by Dorati (the first recording of the complete ballet), Janis performing Liszt's Piano Concertos (the first recordings made in the Soviet Union by American technicians, musical staff and equipment), and Kubelik's Chicago Symphony performance of Pictures at an Exhibition (one of, if not the single best mono recording ever, and the one that led the New York Times critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the label named its series). But how does a CD line go from having a half-dozen must have recordings, to being this reviewer's all-time favorite classical label?

Tracks:

Festive Overture, Op. 96
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Symphony No. 10 In E Minor, Op. 93: Allegro
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Symphony No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 70: Allegro
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Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegro Non Troppo

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Collection .......2005-12-17

This is an excellent sampling of the music of one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, displaying a wide range of emotion, from the enthusiasm of the first selection, the Festive Overture, to the soaring lyrical beauty of the Romance (track 5), to the poetry of the andante movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 (track 9), to the slow, deep, intensity of the Largo movement of the Piano Trio No. 2 (track 13), very movingly performed by the Stockholm Arts Trio.

At the same time that the various musical selections exhibit Shostakovich's range and diversity, they are nonetheless arranged in such a way that the listener doesn't experience any unpleasant impact from the sudden change in tempo that occurs, for example, when the Romance in track 5 ends, and the very next selection is the highly energetic allegro movement from the Symphony No. 10. Rather, the feeling is one of stimulation and excitement as one moves, from one selection to the next, through the wonderful variety of Shostakovich's compositions.

The quality of the musicianship on every track is first rate, including the selections played by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and its talented conductor, Theodore Kuchar. The andante movemont of the Piano Concerto No. 2 is a slice of musical heaven, played wonderfully by pianist Michael Houston and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. There is power, intensity, tenderness, subtlety, and great beauty in the wonderful performances on this very reasonably priced CD. The sound engineering is also first rate, with crystal clear sound and excellent balance of the instruments. For those who want to hear a greater number of selections from this composer, Naxos has now released the two-CD "The Very Best of Shostakovitch."

Amongst the "Best of" or "Greatest Hits of" classical music CD's that I have, this is one of the best. Highly recommended.

Traditional & Modern, Russian & Global........2003-03-21

This CD opens a door for me to explore the huge music treasure of Shostakovich. I love every piece of music on this CD. "The Gadfly" film score suit is especially beautiful and performed by first-class musicians in National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. There is too little, this is the only problem with this CD to me.

!.......2000-07-13

Pursuant to the previous review: Since there is now a listing supplied, I guess that the disc should now be considered a five star masterpiece.

What's on this CD.......1999-04-14

I'm not reviewing the CD, I'm reviewing your listing. What's with this "Best of" title where I can't find out what's on the CD. Better info please.

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