# Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, favourite symphony and recording?



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

I would be delighted to get your single favourite symphony and recording for each of these composers. Out of this mountain of music I am keen to start exploring the key works. Box sets provide too much music for me and of course the performances will vary. 

What are the albums you first reach for and always return to when you feel like a symphony by these composers?

I thought one pick each just to make it difficult! 

Composer
Symphony name:?
Favourite recording:?

PS I saw the excellent Tchaikovsky thread which I will of course investigate, I just thought it maybe interesting to have a thread focused on specific albums for all these composers.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

Shostakovich Symphony 4 London Philharmonic Haitink

Prokifiev Symphony 5 Montreal Symphony Dutoit

Rachmaninov Symphony 2 Concertgebouw Ashkenazy


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## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Polyphemus said:


> Shostakovich Symphony 4 London Philharmonic Haitink
> 
> Prokifiev Symphony 5 Montreal Symphony Dutoit
> 
> Rachmaninov Symphony 2 Concertgebouw Ashkenazy


PERFECT! thanks


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 Previn/LSO
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 Mravinsky Leningrad
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 Gergiev/Mariinsky
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 Bernstein/NYP


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Hard to pick just one....
Shostakovich- Sym #5 - Bernstein/NYPO or Sym #7 Bernstein/CSO
Prokofieff - Sym #5, Levine/CSO
Tchaikovsky - Sym #6, Reiner, ChicagoSO....
Rachm'noff....don't like his symphonies...never listen to them.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Shostakovich Symphony no 7 Leningrad 
RLPO Vasily Petrenko 

Tchaikovsky Symphony no 6 Pathetique 
RLPO Vasily Petrenko 

Prokofiev Symphony no 1 Classical

Berlin Philharmonic 
Seiji Ozawa

Rachmaninov
Symphony no 2
RLPO
Vasily Petrenko 

Love most of my Russian performances by RLPO and Petrenko


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (Bernstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra 1959)
Prokofiev: No vote yet (you could try Muti/Philadelphia Orchestra on Romeo and Juliet if you need more for him)
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 (Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, London Symphony Orchestra)


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## R3PL4Y (Jan 21, 2016)

Shostakovich: 13 - Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic
Prokofiev: 6 - Mravinsky/Leningrad
Tchaikovsky: 6 - Mravinsky/ Leningrad
Rachmaninoff: 3 - Jansons/Leningrad


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## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Some excellent choices, I have already started a list of ones to get hold of! I will be stuck on Spotify for the next few months now.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Shostakovich 13 - WDR Symphony Orchestra / Barshai (accept no other).
Rachmaninov 1 - Concertgebouw / Ashkenazy
Prokofiev 3 - National SO of Ukraine / Kuchar
Tchaikovsky 6 - NHKSO / Wakasugi


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Tchaikovsky: no 6. Monteux/Boston
Rachmaninoff: no 2. Dutoit/Philadelphia
Prokofieff: no. 5. Slatkin/St. Louis
Shostakovich: no. 9. Bernstein/NYPO


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## SONDEK (Sep 29, 2017)

You may not find all of these on SPOTIFY...

[I'm fairly certain the big labels leave some of their best offerings off SPOTIFY to help support waning CD sales...]

TCHAIKOVSKY NO. 6








PROKOFIEV NO. 1








SHOSTAKOVICH NO. 5








RACHMANINOV NO. 2








Like others, I prefer the RACHMANINOV PIANO CONCERTOS. Hard to find a bad version of the wonderful NO. 2. And don't miss the slow movement in NO. 4...


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

Shostakovich: Symphony 5, Andre Previn/Chicago Symphony
Rachmaninov- Symphony 3, but haven't heard enough recordings to pick a favorite
Prokofiev- generally dislike his symphonies. 
Tchaikovsky- Symphony 6, Karajan/BPO


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am with bharbeke and techniquest on this one:

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 (Ashkenazy)

I have not really explored Prokofiev, Shostakovich, or Tchaikovsky symphonies. Just got into Rachmaninoff the past week or so, and bought the symphonies in the Concertgebouw / Ashkenazy set. Favorite so far is #1, followed by #3, then #2, but I have only listened through a few times and need to get more familiar.


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