# SS 10.08.13 - Shostakovich # 5



## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

*Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975)*

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1937)

1. Moderato / Allegro non troppo
2. Allegretto
3. Largo
4. Allegro non troppo


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

в конце концов!!! A symphony I can comment on 

I'm going to go with Vasily Petrenko conducting my home town orchestra the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm going to listen to:

Kurt Sanderling & The Berlin Symphony

I usually listen to either Bernstein or Barshai, but while I've heard the orchestras playing isn't great (Berlin Symphony not the Berlin Philharmonic), that Sanderling's interpretation is one everyone should hear at least once so I'm going to give it my first listen.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Haven´s heard it, but Petrenko got good reviews in this very detailed thread with comparative reviews:

http://www.talkclassical.com/23510-shostakovich-5-athon-2.html

(Personally, I have later acquired the Ancerl mentioned there too).


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> Haven´s heard it, but Petrenko got good reviews in this very detailed thread with comparative reviews:
> 
> http://www.talkclassical.com/23510-shostakovich-5-athon-2.html
> 
> (Personally, I have later acquired the Ancerl mentioned there too).


Thanks................ are you going to join us this weekend.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

I will listen Barshai..................................................


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Bix said:


> Thanks................ are you going to join us this weekend.


I´d like to be on one of my earlier cycling holidays in England - but unfortunately that is not the case .


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I'll listen to Bernstein / NYPO, because it's the only one I've got.


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> I´d like to be on one of my earlier cycling holidays in England - but unfortunately that is not the case .


Awwww would you at least join us with listening to a version of DSCH 5


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I just realized I have the Mercury Living Presence version with Skrowaczewski and the Minneapolis Symphony as well. So, I could do either one if somebody else needs one or the other.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

National Symphony Orchestra with Mstislav Rostropovich


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I'll join in tomorrow with a random Fifth chosen from my collection!

/ptr


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2013)

I don't have the entire Shostakovich symphony cycle - I only have 2, 8, 10, 13, and 15. So I won't be joining in.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Vesteralen said:


> I'll listen to Bernstein / NYPO, because it's the only one I've got.


I'll be listening to this as well. I'm fairly new to this symphony, I've only heard it twice before and this is the only recording I have heard and I know I love it!


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

> Haven´s heard it, but Petrenko got good reviews in this very detailed thread with comparative reviews:
> 
> Shostakovich 5-athon


I was the OP of the Shostakovich 5-athon thread and have reviewed all the versions I have there; I would say that the Petrenko on Naxos and the Ancerl on Suprafon are 'must have' recordings. I'll be very interested to read about other recordings in this thread though


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Found Petrenko version also from my collection. So Barshai and Petrenko with deep analysis from both


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Listening to Kondrashin right now. I wish I had the score to this so I could read along! The symphony is brilliant but certainly not in my top 25.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

^^ Karel Ančerl's Supraphon is one of my Top three Fifth's!

This morning I've polled my rooster of available Fifths* and the one that struck my fancy was (drum roll!):









A live recording from 1991 with *Het Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest* with the German kapellmeister *Kurt Sanderling*!

I've heard Sanderling conduct Shostakovich live several times during his winter season, the fourth, eight (twice) and the fifteenth and all where performances of great powers that left me exhausted, great memories those concerts are! Unfortunatly I never felt his partial Symphony Cycle on Berlin classics reached the altitudes his late concert work did.

/ptr

*28 versions


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

I've randomly chosen Andre Previn on spotify.








My favourite up to this moment in time is supplied by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the USSR Ministry of Culture.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I decided on the Skrowaczewski version after all because I thought it would off the beaten track, and unlike the Bernstein, I hadn't heard it before.

I'm finishing the first movement now. I'm glad I made this choice.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

ptr said:


> ^^ Karel Ančerl's Supraphon is one of my Top three Fifth's!
> 
> This morning I've polled my rooster of available Fifths* and the one that struck my fancy was (drum roll!):
> 
> ...


I really want that bosxet, but it's so expensive..

I'll listen to Rostropovich/LSO, his third and last performance.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Well, that was a revelation to me. I loved the Skrowaczewki/Minneapolis version of this symphony. I prefer it now over Kondrashin (used to have the LP) and Bernstein. 

This album was originally recorded in 1961 and issued on the Mercury Living Presence label. Currently, it's available as CD18 in the first set of MLP recordings on CD.

What immediately set this version apart for me was the almost chamber-music quality, particularly of the first and third movements. So many instruments had solos. The recording was super clear and every note seemed defined. I was used to a much darker, ponderous sound to this piece. But, though the climatic portions of the score still packed a wallop, there was a very appealing airiness to this performance that I loved. 

By the way, was that a harp playing ground bass in the first movement? It sounded like a harp to me, but it was being doubled by other bass instruments so I couldn't be certain.

If there is one drawback to this recording, it may be that the final movement is taken at a kind of breakneck speed. But, the definition of notes was never lost, and for me, there was only one brief minute-and-a-half section that I would have preferred a bit of a slow down.

Interesting use of the timpani in the final measures. The ensemble has to play perfectly for this to come off.

In case you hadn't noticed - I was impressed.  Elevates this symphony completely in my estimation.


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1937) / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orcestra / Petrenko / 2008

Moderato / Allegro non troppo - slow start like wading through a mire (quite effective), the quiet parts were so diminished that I thought the music had stopped, which resulted in me having to increase the volume of the music ever so slightly which resulted in an unbalanced 'hearing' overall, the loud sections were then LOUD!!!

Allegretto - I think the RLPO and Petrenko have created the right balance of nervous schizoid phrasing versus military waltzing scherzi in this movement. It's almost like having bi-polar disorder and being flung between the nervous and manic phases at speed, but this is obviously down to Shostakovich's writing.

Largo - the first climax a third of the way in is so effective due to the utterly restrained power in the build up, you can feel all of that power just waiting to explode. Whilst you have the clarinets playing in the second third the restrained strings in the background just dreaming of coming back to the fore, it really is something.

Allegro non troppo - the quietness of the previous movement was so quiet this one nearly made me дерьмо моего трусики as the Russians might say. During the creeping part of the quieter section, the young adults outside my window bombing around on mopeds with the same horsepower as a hair dryer added an interesting flavour to the mix.

Overall, during the quieter parts I feel that it is almost like the orchestra and Petrenko are having an intimate moment to themselves, if you were there during the recording and were sitting at the front you would 'get it', but if you were at the back of a concert hall you would think that the music had stopped. I don't know if this was Petrenko's intent or that it was just bad editing.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Bix said:


> Overall, during the quieter parts I feel that it is almost like the orchestra and Petrenko are having an intimate moment to themselves, if you were there during the recording and were sitting at the front you would 'get it', but if you were at the back of a concert hall you would think that the music had stopped. I don't know if this was Petrenko's intent or that it was just bad editing.


Bix - I've always wanted to hear Petrenko conducting Shostakovich. I don't know how many times I've been on the verge of ordering one of these CDs.

I just wish you could hear the version I just heard. The music never seemed to cut out - but, as I said, portions of it sounded like chamber music. I didn't miss a note.


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Vesteralen said:


> Bix - I've always wanted to hear Petrenko conducting Shostakovich. I don't know how many times I've been on the verge of ordering one of these CDs.
> 
> I just wish you could hear the version I just heard. The music never seemed to cut out - but, as I said, portions of it sounded like chamber music. I didn't miss a note.


I'll keep on the lookout for it 

If I was going to recommend a Petrenko conducting Shostakovich I would always say the 11ty with the RLPO.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I think this was my 3rd or 4th time listening to this symphony and the last time was probably 2 or 3 years ago so I wouldn't really know if this version was right or wrong anyway.

View attachment 22606


Overall, I liked the recording. I could hear a few spots where a few notes sounded a bit rough but as far as the overall interpretation, I never felt bored. It's not my favorite symphony but I never felt like I wanted to stop listening to the CD. Lots of things going on in each movement. Lots of little things to listen for. Sanderling definitely kept it interesting for me.

I've got this Symphony with Haitink, Bernstein, Barshai and Kondrashin. I may have to spend more time comparing each.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

I'm listening to the Bernstein now. 

Clearly a better recording and a better orchestra than the MLP CD I listened to earlier.

And, Bernstein, as usual, milks every possible ounce of drama from the score. Overall, the first movement is taken much slower, but he can bend the tempi like rubber when he wants to.

And, if Skrov's finale was faster, this reading is, as Schumann would have said, "even faster".

The version I must have had in my head to compare with was the Kondrashin. It's been thirty years since I listened to it, but it was the first for me and the one I listened to the most number of times.

I think most listeners would greatly prefer this reading over either Kondrashin's or Skrov's..

Personally, I find it a little exhausting.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Rudolf Barshai, WDR Sinfonieorchester








Petrenko, RLPO

I listened to both of these back to back. Didn't notice any major difference, although my pet (a cat) liked Petrenko more. I guess it was celesta in use during first part. Liked it. I am a big fan of Shosta, so no difficulties in enjoying these. I like 10th and 7th more, but this comes close.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

I wasn't particularly engaged by this recording, and nearly ready to give up, until the finale kicked in.. The second half of it is handled so well! Too bad the first movement lacks tension, the second movement lacks humor, and the third movement lacks precision. Perhaps I should give it another go sometimes - with that finale to wait for, I say it's worth my time.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

On Radio 3's 'Building a Library' a few weeks ago, Geofrey Norris compared many available recordings and decided that the Jansons recording with the Vienna Philharmonic was the best overall with the 1954 Mravinsky and the Kondrashin recordings as runners up. He was rather critical of the slow Rostropovich ending to the work suggesting that it is half the speed indicated in the score (which is presumably also why the Petrenko disappeared from the shortlist so soon).


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

techniquest said:


> He was rather critical of the slow Rostropovich ending to the work suggesting that it is half the speed indicated in the score (which is presumably also why the Petrenko disappeared from the shortlist so soon).


For some reason he preferred extremely slow tempos: his LSO 8 is horribly labored because of it. That said, I think him pulling a Celibidache worked really well here.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

> For some reason he preferred extremely slow tempos: his LSO 8 is horribly labored because of it. That said, I think him pulling a Celibidache worked really well here.


I couldn't get on with Rostropovich's LSO 8 at all. It isn't just the laboured feel, it's the odd little pauses and strange tempo changes he makes that caused much of the work to seem so disjointed: a very odd interpretation.


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## leomarillier (Nov 12, 2011)

Rostropovitch's set is the strangest; I fell like there is no energy or human feelings.
Bernstein's 5th video is wonderful, but Ashkenazy's is very beautiful and touching (DC20 collection)


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