# Shostakovich Symphony Recommendations?



## classfolkphile

There is a lot of discussion about Shostakovich here but I didn't find a (at least recent) thread just about his Symphonies and recordings thereof. I thought it would be useful to have such a dedicated thread. Particularly as I'm unfamiliar with them and would appreciate recommendations for the best recordings of the best of them. :lol: 

Complete set recommendations would be welcome as well. Please mention the sound quality of all recordings suggested. I, at least, am only interested in those with good, if not great, sound, as the various Soviet recordings I've heard from the '50s and '60s are thin and harsh, qualities I'm allergic to. 

TIA


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## Judith

Love the 7th symphony (Leningrad). There was a TV programme about this symphony a while ago and I was hooked.

My recording is

RLPO

Vasily Petrenko

Have a whole set by the above orchestra & conductor so I have the Leningrad twice!


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## classfolkphile

Thanks Judith. That is one of the sets that has intrigued me. Any thoughts about it as a whole?


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## bharbeke

I loved hearing Bernstein's 1959 version with the New York Philharmonic of the 5th symphony.


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## KenOC

I have a very good collection of complete sets. IMO the Petrenko set is easily in the running for top place, both for the performances and for the sonics.

But there are some extraordinary performances of the individual symphonies that can't be passed up. Bernstein's 1959 5th has been mentioned. Petrenko goes for the massive, intense, 70mm technicolor version with some incredibly slow tempi. It works. But Bernstein's is like an unstoppable express train. Don't get in the way!

Another is the remarkable Bernstein/Chicago SO performance of DSCH's 7th. It's not a performance, it's an experience.


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## Joe B

My favorite is #10. This performance by the Helsinki Philharmonic under James De Preist and engineered by the legendary John Eargle is first rate in performance and production.
This youtube video will give you an idea of the performance. The production quality must be heard on CD.






I do not have a box set of Shostakovich symphonies, so no recommendations there.


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## elgar's ghost

If you want a jump-start I'd go with his fourth as this was the one Shostakovich really put a lot of time and effort into and was keen to unleash before well-documented circumstances allegedly deterred him from doing so.

Soviet era - Kondrashin on Melodiya or Rozhdestvensky on Olympia. Neither are live so you don't get that quintessential Belomorkanal cigarette-induce spluttering when you least want it.

Otherwise, Haitink on LPO holds its own very well from a Western perspective (but that's the only one I've got - I've read good things about Petrenko and Previn, too)


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## Heck148

Great topic - Shostakovich symphonies are major components in the symphonic repertoire,and are receiving lots of live performances at present.

some favorites of mine - [I've heard many, many Shostakovich performances, and have performed his symphonies many times, as well]

*Sym #7, and Sym #1 - Bernstein/Chicago Symphony/DG *- perhaps the finest symphony recordings I've ever heard. Bernstein's #7 is cosmic, a great performance - the first mvt crescendo is terrifying, and the finale is indescribable - one of the great sound spectaculars of all time. Wonderful performance of Shostakovich's 1st symphony. a remarkable work that already shows the genius of its creator.

*Sym #5 - I go for Bernstein/NYPO/1959*. a classic performance, recorded in Boston Symphony Hall, after the orchestra had returned from its European/Russian tour. I've heard some/played some really fine versions, since then, but I'll still go back to LB/NYPO/59.

*Sym #8 -* really heavy-duty piece - dark, foreboding, this is not happy music!! 
Solti/CSO is terrific. so is Mravinsky/LenPO - [9/60 BBC] - great recording - really gutsy.

*Sym #9 - Best ever - Kurtz/NYPO - 1947 *- in remarkably good sound - classic performance.....but may be hard to find...Kondrashin/MoscowPO is really good, so is Solti/Carnegie Hall Project Orch - hand-picked orchestra for Solti's special program....very good - terrific solo work,crucial in #9.

*Sym #10 *- great piece - the best recordings, IMO, may be hard to find - 
Stokowski/CSO live concert 3/66 - nothing like it!! [CSO archival set "Chicago SO - First !00 Years"]
Mitropoulos/NYPO c. '54. wonderful - with superb solo work by NYPO.
These may be hard to locate - 
Solti and Mravinsky have fine recordings of this major work.

*Sym #11 *- lots of choices - 
Stokowski/HoustonSO is a long-time favorite.
Mravinsky/LenPO is a top candidate as well.

I've not yet heard them, but I would expect [from live performance experience] that some of the Nelsons/BostonSO recordings would be high recommendations, in very good up-to-date sound. Maybe not at the peak of the pyramid, but very fine accounts nonetheless. I plan to check them out....
Hope this helps....


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## KenOC

From left field: Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra does DSCH's 10th at the Proms back in 2007. A tremendous performance! Maybe someday Gustavo will do a complete cycle...


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## znapschatz

Heck148 said:


> *Sym #8 -* really heavy-duty piece - dark, foreboding, this is not happy music!!
> Solti/CSO is terrific. so is Mravinsky/LenPO - [9/60 BBC] - great recording - really gutsy.
> 
> *Sym #10 *- great piece - the best recordings, IMO, may be hard to find -
> Stokowski/CSO live concert 3/66 - nothing like it!! [CSO archival set "Chicago SO - First !00 Years"]
> Mitropoulos/NYPO c. '54. wonderful - with superb solo work by NYPO.
> These may be hard to locate -
> *Solti and Mravinsky have fine recordings of this major work*.


I must second these choices. Mravinsky worked closely with Shostakovich, who for a time considered him the foremost conductor of his works, the one who understood them best. Solti also does Shostakovich well. Actually, all performances I have heard so far of these symphonies have suited me fine.


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## Guest

I can't do a set of recommendations but I can recommend a set...the Haitink referred to with the LPO and ACO. The 11th is my favourite symphony but I find the hall acoustics on the Haitink work against this symphony so i also have the Petrenko/RLPO, the Wigglesworth/NRPO (stunning BIS sound) and Semyon Bychkov/WDRO which you can hear on Youtube. He takes the attack sequence too fast IMO, but everything else is great, with good sound. 

I also have Petrenko's 5th, 9th and 10th, also very good.


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## techniquest

If you are looking for complete set recommendations, you can't really do better overall than Barshai with the WDR Sinfonieorchester on Brilliant Classics, recorded in the 1990's. There are two main reaons for this; the overall sound quality is very good (as is the orchestra - especially for this composer), and the set can be bought for very little outlay when comparing just how good it is. For me it beats the oft-cited Haitink set because it sounds so much more 'Russian', but with wonderful sonic quality.
That being said, not all of the performances on the Barshai set are the best you'll find: I'd opt for another No.7, and another No.11 (Berglund with the Bournemouth SO on EMI Classics is superb in both), and my preference for No.5 is the recent Petrenko / Royal Liverpool recording on Naxos which has an absolutely terrifying (though very controvertial) ending taken much, much slower than just about any other recording. However, with the Barshai set you won't find a better recording of No.13 or (for my ears) No.10, and Nos. 9 and 6 are among the very best too.
I agree with you about the harsh sound on many of the Russian stalwart recordings; these might be top-notch peformances but that is so often lost when the sound is so poor.


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## Judith

classfolkphile said:


> Thanks Judith. That is one of the sets that has intrigued me. Any thoughts about it as a whole?


Listened to the 10th and again , fiery and full which is typical of them. Just listened to those two in the set so far, but love Petrenko and RLPO on the whole. Have most of the Tchaikovsky works performed by them with Petrenko and saw them all live a year and a half ago. One of the best concerts I had been to!


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## padraic

Start with the 5th and the 10th.
Petrenko is a top modern choice, but I also love Nelsons' 5th with BSO.


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## EdwardBast

For complete sets I second Techniquest's recommendation of Barshai with the WDR Sinfonieorchester — got it for like $20. I would prefer having Kondrashin if I had another $200 to spend. I especially like his 6th. Haitink I like too.


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## DavidA

Barshai is really good. For a supplement use Karajan's 10th


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## Manxfeeder

EdwardBast said:


> For complete sets I second Techniquest's recommendation of Barshai with the WDR Sinfonieorchester - got it for like $20. I would prefer having Kondrashin if I had another $200 to spend.


My thoughts exactly.


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## Triplets

The Kitaenko cycle, hard to ind, is not only superb but in SACD sounds stunning.
Barshai made a fantastic cycle earlier with the same Orchestra


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## mbhaub

Shostakovich runs hot and cold for me. I have two complete sets: Rostropovich on Warner is "good enough" in most everything. Slovak on early Naxos is better than a lot, but the sound is not top notch. For individual symphonies I pick carefully, and I wouldn't get them all. Some of the symphonies are just not that good.

1: Bernstein with NYPO on Sony. Nothing to complain about.
4: Chung with Philadephia on DG. Sensational performance, maybe best ever. Of course my previous favorite was Ormandy.
5: Honeck with Pittsburgh on Reference. Swept away some old favorites. Dazzling, energetic and angry. Great reading.
6: Ormandy with Philly.
7: Bernstein with NYPO, cuts and all. This is not a great symphony in my opinion. Over-hyped for sure.
8: Previn with London Symphony on EMI. 40 years later still my favorite.
9: Bernstein NYPO on Sony. They play it like Lenny wrote it. 
10: Karajan with Berlin on DG. Deserves every accolade it gets.

And that's all the symphonies I really care about. I despise 2 and 3, but then so did the composer. Can't understand or appreciate 15 to save my life. Shostakovich's best work are in the string quartets, one opera, several ballets, and the concerti.


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## bisque

I also recommend the Barshai. Don't like Haitink at all. But for me, the essentials are the hardest and priciest - the Kondrashin and Rozhdestvensky sets on Melodiya - both are amazing - and the All Symphonies on Melodiya has some great stuff in it.


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## Holden4th

I have the Barshai and would also recommend it. If you want a really thrilling great performance of the 8th, I agree that the Mravinsky live in London is excellent but the sound is poor. In better sound and almost as good is Previn/LSO.


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## TwoPhotons

My two favourite symphonies are #8 and #10, Previn/LSO and Kondrashin/MSO respectively. In addition to the usual suspects (#5, #7, #11) I would also highly recommend #6, particularly the last movement, which contains one of DS's most thrilling climaxes!


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## KJ von NNJ

Bernstein's DG Chicago SO 7th is a favorite of mine. I saw Bychkov conduct the New York Philharmonic through the7th a few years ago and it was an awesome performance. I have not heard his recording of it though.
The 4th and 10th Sony twofer led by Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra is a jewel for sure. Great classic performances. I enjoy Previn's early LSO 5th and DG 8th. Haitink's 6 and 12 are good.
As far as complete sets go, Haitink's Decca traversal is impressive. I have heard and read good things about Kitaienko's Cappricio complete set.
I like many that have been mentioned in previous posts. I have not heard Petrenko yet. I want to remedy that!


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## david johnson

whichever set you wish +: Mitropoulos/NYPO/#5 - Bernstein/CSO/#7 - Karajan/BPO/#10


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## Heck148

david johnson said:


> whichever set you wish +: Mitropoulos/NYPO/#5 - Bernstein/CSO/#7 -......


The Mitropoulos/NYPO Shost 5 is really excellent - I only have it on LP...Bernstein/CSO #7 is one of the greatest recordings produced of ANY symphony...really amazing....wish I could have heard the live performances!!
Heard Nelsons/BSO perform it last season - really excellent - very exciting.


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## R3PL4Y

I have a hard time listening to non-russian Shostakovich most of the time, so that is where most of my recommendations are going to be from.
I really like Kondrashin's box set of all the symphonies. However, I also have other preferences for some of them.
5: Mravinsky
8: Mravinsky
9: Bernstein
10: Karajan's earlier live recording
13: Kondrashin, but a different recording than the one in the box set
I don't feel like I have found a really good recording of the suite on Verses by Michelangelo that Shostakovich seemed to consider his 16th symphony, so any recommendations are appreciated.


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## marshanp

I am not equally keen on all the Shostakovich symphonies; of those I like best my favourite recordings are:

1 Wigglesworth
4 Previn, Chicago SO
6 Mravinsky, Leningrad PO live in 1965, issued on an HMV/Melodiya LP in 1972 and reissued on CD
13 Previn, Petkov, LSO
15 Maxim Shostakovich, Moscow RSO on 1972 HMV/Melodiya LP - the premiere recording and the first to reach the UK (a week or two prior to the fine Ormandy version), and never reissued on CD to my knowledge - an astonishing omission


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## Merl

mbhaub said:


> 5: Honeck with Pittsburgh on Reference. Swept away some old favorites. Dazzling, energetic and angry. Great reading.
> .


Totally agree. Like everything Honeck has done with Pittsburgh it's superb. Playing it in the car yesterday.


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## mbhaub

Today I watched an old silent film of some importance: The Battleship Potemkin. One of Eisenstein's legendary movies. Very absorbing and moving. What really made it work was the soundtrack: all Shostakovich, mostly from the symphonies. Crudely edited and played sometimes, but what a combo - Eisenstein and Shostakovich. If you have any interest in Soviet history and like Shostakovich, I highly recommend this film.


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## gustavdimitri

Haitink is indeed more a Mahler conductor than a Shostakovich one ...


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## gustavdimitri

Whom I really miss here are Kondrashin and Rozhdestvensky, who else than really Russian condutors for Shostakovich? 
Kondrashin is pure, raw, also due to the recordings! But wonderfull.
Rozhdestvensky is just fenomenal!


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## aussiebushman

With Shostakovich recordings, it seems important not to stick with just one or two, just because you already own them. Take the 7th symphony for example. I have several different recordings of this and all have their merits, 

The least inspiring is the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with Paavo Berglund that is so restrained and measured in tempo that for me, it lacks the essential character of the work. 

Conversely, the Bernstein is at the other end of the performance spectrum and is, if anything, a bit "over the top" though BBC Music Magazine states "Bernstein conveys the harrowing wartime narrative of the Leningrad with overwhelming emotional power, dispelling any lingering doubts about the greatness of Shostakovich's work"

Overall, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Vasily Petrenko is arguably one of the best all round performances, offering superbly haunting treatment of this fine symphony. As is the beautifilly sensitive Mariinsky Orchestra version with Valery Gergiev

And lets not overlook the Evgeny Mravinsky - the combination of classic Russian sound and fine interpretation.

However, my personal favorite is the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording with Bernard Haitink - this one is just superb


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## Larkenfield

Another vote for the Barshai Shostakovich cycle with the WDR orchestra on Brilliant Classics, recorded in spectacular sound quality:






I've seen the 10 CD set go for as low as $24, and for some, this would be an excellent introduction to these symphonies... Barshai and Shostakovich were friends, colleagues, and the militaristic side of these symphonies is not over-emphasized, which I found refreshing. It's the musicality that is brought out in each of them, to Barshai's credit. For me, I couldn't ask for anything more of his performance of the 1st.


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## Kollwitz

The Petrenko RLPO recordings of 5, 9 and 10 are very good indeed.


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## SONNET CLV

Just listen to all 15 of the symphonies. And if you are really ambitious, alternate your listening with the same numbered string quartet. You'll get then the public and the private Shostakovich, both of which are sublime. 

If you need an integral set of the symphonies, that by Rudolf Barshai is excellent, and won't break the bank. There are many sets of the complete quartets, but you won't go wrong with the Rubio Quartet in a budget priced set on Brilliant Classics. I have several sets of both the symphonies and the quartets, but I could live with only the Barshai and Rubio boxes. They're that good.


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## stejo

I've got 4 complete boxes with the symphonies and a lot of LP:s.
The one number on for me is the set with Kitajenko/Gurzenich-Orchester Köln on Capriccio.
Recorded in SACD, 2002-2005, some of them live.
In my ears lovely.









But...

I became very interested in the new ongoing recordings from Deutsche Gramophone with Nelsons/Boston SO.
I streamed the 10 th symph and became amazed, downloaded it and was even more amazed, and its the sound on the recording who is top notch. You have a deep bas and great deatails, this 10th symph is now one of my reference rcording I let my 
Friends listen to.
There are tree recordings in this cycle so far and it's quite nice to wait for the next one.


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## perdido34

I love the Barshai set. As for the sound quality, I find it a little bass-shy but otherwise excellent.


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## kochmaxi

Dont know if this contributes much, but those are my favourite DSCH symphonies/the versions.

Symphony 1 (Kondrashin)
Symphony 5 (Barshai)
Symphony 7 (Barshai)
Symphony 8 (Mravinsky)
Symphony 9 (Jansons)
Symphony 10 (Fedoseyev or Gergiev)
Symphony 11 (Kondrashin)
Symphony 13 (Kondrashin by far)
Symphony 15 (i dont really have a favourite interpretation here)

Cheers


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## Larkenfield

...............


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## Larkenfield

perdido34 said:


> I love the Barshai set. As for the sound quality, I find it a little bass-shy but otherwise excellent.


Hmm, I haven't noticed that, but will have to give it another listen. Otherwise, I feel that the sound quality is surprisingly brilliant and crystal clear. This fine set was once available as a $9.99 download, but in this instance I prefer the discs.


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## EdwardBast

KenOC said:


> From left field: Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra does DSCH's 10th at the Proms back in 2007. A tremendous performance! Maybe someday Gustavo will do a complete cycle...


I heard him conduct it with the New York Phil about a decade back - Not quite as loud as the double orchestra he employed with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, but a creditable effort nonetheless.


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## EdwardBast

gustavdimitri said:


> Whom I really miss here are Kondrashin and Rozhdestvensky, who else than really Russian condutors for Shostakovich?
> Kondrashin is pure, raw, also due to the recordings! But wonderfull.
> Rozhdestvensky is just fenomenal!


Yes, Kondrashin would be my first choice - if only I could afford him. I especially love his 6th.


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## KenOC

Larkenfield said:


> Hmm, I haven't noticed that, but will have to give it another listen. Otherwise, I feel that the sound quality is surprisingly brilliant and crystal clear. This fine set was once available as a $9.99 download, but in this instance I prefer the discs.


Brilliant offers a "new expanded" Shostakovich Edition that includes the Barshai symphonies and just about everything else by Shostakovich sane people could possibly want. It's $143.34 for 49 CDs, or about $3 per. Sounds like a very reasonable deal. CD only, no download.

PS I have the old 27-CD set and it has the Barshai-arranged chamber symphonies, which IMO should be sought out. I assume this new set also has them.


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## aussiebushman

Not much mention so far of the 11th - the "1905" I was looking through my collection of Shostakovich recordings the other night and found one that I had no recollection of owning - the 11th with the USSR ministry of culture orchestra under Rozhdestvensky. I have been utterly blown away by this wonderful symphony and strongly recommend it to anyone not familiar with it

The following extract is from Mark Wigglesworth's essay:

Played without a pause, the symphony’s four movements are all given titles by the composer. Palace Square serves as a slow introduction: its cold and desolate vastness depict the snow-covered square at daybreak; ominous timpani strokes fatefully suggest an uneasy calm, whilst distant brass fanfares evoke the soldiers’ early morning ‘reveille’. As the sun rises, the melodies of two revolutionary songs emerge. Listen! and The Prisoner were both well-known to prisoners trying to come to terms with the slow pace of time whilst in captivity, with only the crying of fellow inmates to keep them company during the long dark nights.

Entitled The Ninth of January, the following Allegro cinematically depicts the crowd, at ﬁrst calm, then gradually giving way to more impassioned pleas for help. But these receive no answer, and we sense the people’s dejected frustration: a silent stillness that is suddenly interrupted by the sound of riﬂing drum shots, as seemingly unprovoked and unexpected as, by all accounts, the real gunﬁre was in 1905. The confusion and panic in the music is unmistakable, as is the hollow and ghostly emptiness of the terrifying quiet of the now lifeless, body-strewn square with which the movement ends.

The third movement, an Adagio headed In Memoriam, laments those who lost their lives in the atrocity. Sometimes resigned and sad, in other places angry and deﬁant, it is based on the revolutionary funeral march You fell as victims, with unselﬁsh love for the people, a song that was heard at Lenin’s funeral in 1924.

The ﬁnale, Tocsin (an alarm or warning bell), is a gesture of deﬁance on the part of the survivors and on behalf of those who gave their lives in resistance. In anticipation of future uprisings, it uses the songs Tremble, Tyrants and Whirlwinds of Danger to predict an ultimate victory for the revolutionaries

AND

Ultimately, the debate about whether Shostakovich is portraying the heroism of Russians in 1905 or Hungarians in 1956 is irrelevant. It does not matter whether he is attacking the violence of Cossack troops or the aggression of Red Army tanks. What is clear is his obvious empathy with all who try to rise up against tyranny and his passionate antipathy towards all who oppress them. The symphony may on the surface be a costume drama, but it is one that still resonates today. In the end, Shostakovich writes about emotions and states of mind, rather than speciﬁc dates, and even if he does use facts as his focus, they are invariably symbols for universal sentiments. That is why his music remains both timeless and topical.


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## jhwillow

Try 3rd movement of 6th and 3rd movement of 8th. You can see What Shostakovich is.


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## Merl

perdido34 said:


> I love the Barshai set. As for the sound quality, I find it a little bass-shy but otherwise excellent.


I don't find the Barshai set bass-shy. Have a listen to that 1st Symphony. The bass is REALLY deep on that.


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## aussiebushman

jhwillow said:


> Try 3rd movement of 6th and 3rd movement of 8th. You can see What Shostakovich is.


No disagreement from me about that!


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## jim prideaux

read a review of Andris Nelsons and the BSO recordings online (Guardian, Times?) which was not particularly complimentary......funny thing was I had only just come to the conclusion that their recording of the 10th is outstanding, I had come across a copy in a charity shop and snapped it up (fortunately!)


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## Malx

jim prideaux said:


> read a review of Andris Nelsons and the BSO recordings online (Guardian, Times?) which was not particularly complimentary......funny thing was I had only just come to the conclusion that their recording of the 10th is outstanding, I had come across a copy in a charity shop and snapped it up (fortunately!)


Believe your ears not the critics!


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## KenOC

jim prideaux said:


> read a review of Andris Nelsons and the BSO recordings online (Guardian, Times?) which was not particularly complimentary......funny thing was I had only just come to the conclusion that their recording of the 10th is outstanding, I had come across a copy in a charity shop and snapped it up (fortunately!)


Nelsons' DSCH symphonies are, so far, terrific. Move over, Petrenko! I listened to the 9th last night and it was a real romp with a lot of energy and contrast.


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## Peenut

If you're pretty adventurous, try his last two symphonies (14 and 15), they're by far the best musically. Fourteen is the most avant-garde of the symphonies, but it's a really good listen for anyone into his late music. Fifteen is the exact opposite, in that it's really tonal for the most part, but there's still plenty of maturity and it's, in my opinion, one of the best symphonies ever, probably the best after the Second World War. The only good version of Fourteen available online is a scored version on Youtube, I think it's Paavo Jarvi conducting. Check out Bernard Haitink's recording of Fifteen. It's the best online version, and it should be pretty near the top of the search bar.


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## CnC Bartok

I would struggle to give a recommendation out and out for a huge number of these symphonies, and I'd also end up recommending binning symphonies 2, 3 and 12 as unworthy claptrap. 

If you want a complete set, the best for me, and that are affordable, are Barshai or Petrenko. With time, the latter has become my most cherished cycle, but few performances would come out as my top recommendation.....

Among my favourites is No.13, and I though I would share the news that I finally managed to get hold of my long-time favourite recording on CD- Kondrashin on Philips with John Shirley Quirk and Bavarian Radio live from 1980.

As good as I remember it on LP, and as good as it gets. I just regret having to trawl Japanese sites in order to get a copy, surely this one's worth re-releasing for the European/US markets??


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## Mark Emanuele

Let me see... I guess my absolute favorite was his 5th Symphony, however, I do like ALL of them. Some of my other "favorites" are His 1st, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, and Fifteenth.


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## KenOC

Interesting to me...DSCH's symphonies have the reputation of being "uneven," some quite worthy and others less so. BUT...opinions seem to vary widely on which is which! Here's a ranking from another site, with which I don't totally agree.

1 - Symphony #10 in E minor, Op. 93 (1953)
2 - Symphony #5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1937)
3 - Symphony #4 in C minor, Op. 43 (1935-1936)
4 - Symphony #8 in C minor, Op. 65 (1943)
5 - Symphony #15 in A major, Op. 141 (1971)
6 - Symphony #6 in B minor, Op. 54 (1939)
7 - Symphony #13 in Bb minor, Op. 113 'Babi-Yar' (1962)
8 - Symphony #1 in F minor, Op. 10 (1924-1925)
9 - Symphony #11 in G minor, Op. 103 'The Year 1905' (1957)
10 - Symphony #7 in C major, Op. 60 'Leningrad' (1941)
11 - Symphony #9 in Eb major, Op. 70 (1945)
12 - Symphony #14, Op. 135 (1969)
13 - Symphony #12 in D minor, Op. 112 'The Year 1917' (1961)
14 - Symphony #2 in B major, Op. 14 'To October' (1927)
15 - Symphony #3 in Eb major, Op. 20 'The First of May '(1929)


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## jameslewitzke

His 8th Symphony is one of my favorite Symphonies, not just the Shostakovich related ones, but overall, might not be for everyone though.

I also really enjoy is 5th and 10th ones as well.


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## Bill Cooke

jameslewitzke said:


> His 8th Symphony is one of my favorite Symphonies, not just the Shostakovich related ones, but overall, might not be for everyone though.
> 
> I also really enjoy is 5th and 10th ones as well.


I've been trying to find a performance of the 8th that can match the one Mravinsky conducted in London in 1960 - but so far no luck. In my opinion, no other performance I've heard can match the power, anger and instrumental character of the Mravinsky60. Unfortunately that recording is seriously thwarted by a relentless barrage of audience coughs, which I find terribly distracting. Though it's not quite up to the Mravinsky standard, I do like the Petrenko reading as an alternative "cough-free" version.


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## Heck148

Solti/CSO...really shattering, amazing, definitely right up there with Mravinsky, surpasses in some respects....heard them perform it live at Boston Symphony Hall...even better than the recording...


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## Enthusiast

My favourite Shostakovich symphony is the very atypical 14 and I particularly like the more more gentle Currentzis recording of it. My love of this symphony should not be taken to mean that I don't like many of the others - I do like many of them - but 14 has always struck me (since it first arrived in Britain) as an especially powerful masterpiece.


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## Bill Cooke

Heck148 said:


> Solti/CSO...really shattering, amazing, definitely right up there with Mravinsky, surpasses in some respects....heard them perform it live at Boston Symphony Hall...even better than the recording...


I sampled some of the Solti and agree, it's stupendous. Thanks for the recommendation!


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## Enthusiast

I'm looking at the recommendations here. I certainly agree that Kondrashin's set is the best but I am less enthusiastic than many about Barshai and Haitink. I feel that the Jansons set has some good performances in it. There are also a number of good performances in Caetani's set (and some dodgy ones to be honest).


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## Granate

One year after I shortlisted Shostakovich (who I can finally spell) as a symphonist for my recording challenges, I've thought I could give him a go this summer, since his music was so related to Mahler. I spent three days, included last weekend, listing all the Shostakovich symphony recordings in and out of Spotify. *AND WHOLY COW MILK THAT WAS SCARY.*

Not only considering a Shosty cycle lasts for 10-12 CDs, but the list of individual recordings and partial cycles is endless. I plan to listen to them all, but the priority is to play the Mahler Symphony Challenge final (after three years!) this early season. I'm hoping I can complete it before... October! Also, a modest Nielsen Symphony Challenge should happen beforehand.

Other threads I've been reading (for a self-reminder and you too):

Favourite Symphony Compositions: 2010 | 2017 | 2018
Favourite Cycles | Favourite Symphony Recordings

I'm pretty interested in those spare recordings that aren't part of a cycle that you especially like, I'm like thinking of the London Philharmonic Orchestra label (Masur, Haitink in the Royal Albert Hall)...


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## NLAdriaan

Apart from the cycles, I have a few special ones: 

Symf 7: Kirov Orchestra/Rotterdam Philharmonic, Gergiev, recording 2001, issued on Philips
Symf 8: Leningrad Philharmonic, Mravinsky, recording 1982, issued on Regis 2006
Symf 8: Concertgebouw Orchestra, Haitink, recording 1982, Issued on Decca (Part of Decca Haitink cycle)
Symf 12: Leningrad Philharmonic, Mravinsky, recording 1984, Issued on Erato
Symf 13: Symph Orch Bayerischen Rundfunks Chor & John Shirley Quirk, Kondrashin, recording 1980, issued on Philips
Symf 14: MusicAeterna, Teodor Currentzis, recording 2009, issued Alpha Classics 
Symf 15: Staatskapelle Dresden, Kondrashin, recording 1974, issued on Hanssler Profil


Of the full cycles, I prefer Petrenko over Barshai. I am also waiting for the full cycle of Nelsons, of whom I heard a wonderful 8th live in Amsterdam a few years ago.


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## loop7

My standouts:

Symphony 7: Jansons/RCO
Symphony 7: Petrenko/RLPO
Symphony 8: Solti/CSO
Symphony 8: Petrenko/RLPO
Symphony 10: Ashkenazy/RPO
Symphony 13: Masur/NYPO (for sentimental reasons only)

In terms of complete cycles, Haitink was my choice for years but now it's Petrenko, hands down.


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## Heck148

Individual standout recordings:
#1 - Bernstein/CSO
#4 - Previn/CSO; Kondrashin/MoscowPO
#5 -Bernstein/NYPO 1959
#6 -Reiner/PittsSO 1945??
#7 -Bernstein/CSO
#8 - Solti/CSO
#9 -Kurtz/NYPO 1947
#10 - Stokowski/CSO
#11 -Several good ones - Stokowski, Mravinsky, Bychkov/BPO


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## Aries

Symphony No. 3 and Symphony No. 12 are underrated, probably for political reasons. Some anticommunists don't like them because they are propagandistic, and cultural marxists don't like them, because they are real music and no jokes. I really recommend them:


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