# Dimitri Shostakovich



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

His music has been attracting my ears lately and I'd like to know where to dive in. Suggestions appreciated!

Thanks,
:tiphat:


I've enjoyed his symphony 1 and 10.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

For symphonies, easily the 5th and 9th. Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is epic.

https://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich...=Bernstein+Shostakovich&qid=1637807755&sr=8-4

Also, Lenny did a great 9th with Vienna Philharmonic on DVD:


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Also epic is this performance by New York Phil:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm while listening to him.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm while listening to him.


And Beethoven makes you feel like you're in the eyewall?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

hammeredklavier said:


> And Beethoven makes you feel like you're in the eyewall?


Ha, good one!

But, truly, this music is remarkable. It's giving me that feeling of, where have you been all my life!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 13 "Babi Yar" [With score]

Fasten your seatbelt ad do enjoy this Captain.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Captainnumber36 said:


> His music has been attracting my ears lately and I'd like to know where to dive in. Suggestions appreciated!
> 
> Thanks,
> :tiphat:
> ...


You seem to be a Mozart fan instead of a Shostakovich fan! :lol: These two composers are too different that I used to be an audience of Mozart only, but when my violin teacher recommended me with Shostakovich Violin Concerto, I was completetly shocked and thought the Shostakovich Violin Concerto wasn't even music.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> You seem to be a Mozart fan instead of a Shostakovich fan! :lol: These two composers are too different that I used to be an audience of Mozart only, but when my violin teacher recommended me with Shostakovich Violin Concerto, I was completetly shocked and thought the Shostakovich Violin Concerto wasn't even music.


I am always changing my mind, but if I had to guess my internal workings, I'm into tons of different music of all genres and it just depends on my mood what I want to listen to.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> You seem to be a Mozart fan instead of a Shostakovich fan! :lol: These two composers are too different that I used to be an audience of Mozart only, but when my violin teacher recommended me with Shostakovich Violin Concerto, I was completetly shocked and thought the Shostakovich Violin Concerto wasn't even music.


I really don't find his music challenging to listen to, like, at all. It just feels very powerful for me!


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Haha, when I first listened to Shostakovich I felt like the composition wasn't even music. But I got it later after listening to it for a couple times. His compositions surely aren't that hard to understand, because what challenged me was not his music, but the sudden shift from Mozart to Shostakovich.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Also, considering the difference in personal characteristics of Mozart and Shostakovich, it is hard for me to jump my mindset from a happy childish teenager suddenly to a oppressed middle-aged man living in desperation.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> Haha, when I first listened to Shostakovich I felt like the composition wasn't even music. But I got it later after listening to it for a couple times. His compositions surely aren't that hard to understand, because what challenged me was not his music, but the sudden shift from Mozart to Shostakovich.


That's interesting. I had just come off a big Mozart kick before venturing into Shostakovich myself! It's certainly a giant leap. I'd suggest Mozart-->F.J. Haydn-->Beethoven-->Shoshtakovich.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> Also, considering the difference in personal characteristics of Mozart and Shostakovich, it is hard for me to jump my mindset from a happy childish teenager suddenly to a oppressed middle-aged man living in desperation.


Another great point! Great insight, I love it.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'd suggest Mozart-->F.J. Haydn-->Beethoven-->Shoshtakovich.


Do you mean Mozart is the best or the worst?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> Do you mean Mozart is the best or the worst?


I think the older you get, the more you will come to realize that taste in music is individualistic and not a matter of who is better or worse.

I just meant that lineage could be a good gateway into Shostakovich.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

I got it. Sorry for misunderstanding the lines:lol:. I surely know musical preference is very personal, and I just thought that was your musical preference.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

KevinW said:


> I got it. Sorry for misunderstanding the lines:lol:. I surely know musical preference is very personal, and I just thought that was your musical preference.


Gotcha, great! I love Mozart though, he's so pure and heavenly to my ears.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Me too. He can erase almost every sad thing in my head!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Listening to Shostakovich's Piano Concertos!


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Here's a good place to start:


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> His music has been attracting my ears lately and I'd like to know where to dive in. Suggestions appreciated!
> 
> Thanks,
> :tiphat:
> ...


There's quite a contrast between those two Shosty symphonies, so I suspect you'll enjoy most everything from this Soviet-era composer's scoring pen. I know I do.

My Discogs database provided 145 "hits" when I typed in Shostakovich. That's a lot of music in my collection devoted to this composer.

But one of the best pieces in the collection is a box set, I call it the "red box", of the composer's music in generally great productions, artist- and sound-wise. It's a worthy investment into the man's music, and provides not only a great introduction package, but possibly all the Shostakovich you'll ever need.

The Shosty "Red Box", Brilliant Classics - 8128, a 27 CD compilation:

















The box contains all of the symphonies and all of the string quartets, as well as tons of other music. A worthwhile investment for fans of Shostakovich.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

For a violin player I'd recommend the first violin concerto but it is comparably "heavy", more accessible than the cello concerti.
Another great piece is the piano quintet.

"Lighter" are the jazz, ballet, film suites in the Red box shown above and the piano concertos.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I suggest starting with the *string quartets*, maybe, nos. 2, 8, and 12.

Then a few of the *symphonies*, possibly, nos. 5, 10, and 15.

After that the _*Preludes & Fugues*_, Op. 87; either *cello concerto*; either *violin concerto*; either *piano concerto*; and the *Piano Quintet*.

If you're really ambitious, one of the *operas*, _*Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District*_, Op. 29 or _*The Nose*_, Op. 15.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

SONNET CLV said:


> There's quite a contrast between those two Shosty symphonies, so I suspect you'll enjoy most everything from this Soviet-era composer's scoring pen. I know I do.
> 
> My Discogs database provided 145 "hits" when I typed in Shostakovich. That's a lot of music in my collection devoted to this composer.
> 
> ...


This is a great box. Barshai is excellent on the symphonies and the Rubio are very good on the SQs. I got it for a pretty good price a couple of years ago.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

KevinW said:


> I got it. Sorry for misunderstanding the lines:lol:. I surely know musical preference is very personal, and I just thought that was your musical preference.


Musical preferences also shift based on my mood. I'm usually in the mood for Romantic symphonic composers, but sometimes I am in the mood for other music.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Try his String Quartets nos. 9, 10, and 14 as well.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> His music has been attracting my ears lately and I'd like to know where to dive in. Suggestions appreciated!
> 
> Thanks,
> :tiphat:
> ...


I think the very heart of his output is the string quartets. I'd recommend 1, 5, 10, & 13 (or 14) as a short tour. Skip 8 for now, it's inescapable and will collide with you at some point in the natural course of life.

Oh, the piano quintet is magnificent while we're on chamber music.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm very biased on loving Hilary Hahn in just about everything BUT this performance is justifiably epic:


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

hammeredklavier said:


> And Beethoven makes you feel like you're in the eyewall?


Eyewall? US version of 'eye (of the storm)', I think.

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/eye_wall


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

My first introduction was his 7th Symphony - which I'd been attracted to after hearing it used in _Billion Dollar Brain_!
Then his 5th, 10th, 11th and 9th


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Brahms and Shostakovich are probably my biggest blind spots in classical music. Finely crafted music that does very little to me.
I'll try some recommendations in this thread to give this composer another fair shot.


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## Nawdry (Dec 27, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> His music has been attracting my ears lately and I'd like to know where to dive in. Suggestions appreciated!
> ...
> I've enjoyed his symphony 1 and 10.


Shostakovich's 5th Symphony was one of the crucial influences and inspirations in my youth that drew me utterly into the spell of classical music.

Other particular favorites are the 7th Symphony (Leningrad), the Piano Quintet, and the Piano Concerto #2.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

DeepR said:


> I'll try some recommendations in this thread to give this composer another fair shot.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

DeepR said:


> Brahms and Shostakovich are probably my biggest blind spots in classical music. Finely crafted music that does very little to me.
> I'll try some recommendations in this thread to give this composer another fair shot.


Shostakovich is an awesome composer, one of the greats, imo...the symphonies, the quartets, the concerti, the ballet music, film scores, operas....
Definitely some high-octane music!!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Listening to Shostakovich's Piano Concertos!



This is a good one Captain. 
And those two


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Love the 2nd piano concerto!! fun to play....
the ongoing 7/4 [7/8?? I don't have the score] passage in mvt 3 is really cool....great use of asymmetric rhythm in a steady ostinato pattern...


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