# SS 10.02.18 - Shostakovich #6



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*_For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975)*

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 54

1. Largo
2. Allegro
3. Presto

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and up this weekend is Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich's 6th symphony. This symphony never seems to get much praise so I hope everyone will find a recording and give it a listen this weekend. We're getting blasted with snow so I'm looking forward to staying in and giving this one a fresh listen as it's probably been a year or more since I last heard it.

I'll be listening to:







Rudolf Barshai/WDR Symphony Orchestra


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall give this version a try 
Petrenko and the RLPO


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## Torkelburger (Jan 14, 2014)

Really love this symphony. So passionate and moving. I'll listen to

Leonard Bernstein and Vienna on DG


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

I like Kondrashin with the Moscow Phil for this one because he doesn't let the first movement drag during the long wind solos. The Sixth is a wonderful contrast between the strident heroism of the 5th and 7th.


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

realdealblues said:


> Another weekend is upon us and up this weekend is Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich's 6th symphony. This symphony never seems to get much praise so I hope everyone will find a recording and give it a listen this weekend. We're getting blasted with snow so I'm looking forward to staying in and giving this one a fresh listen as it's probably been a year or more since I last heard it.
> 
> I'll be listening to:
> View attachment 101462
> ...


I'll join you and also go with Barshai's recording :tiphat:


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I love this Symphony so will play the following disc:

View attachment 101470


I have fond memories of a concert at the Barbican - the LSO was conducted by Osmo Vanska which rounded off a fine evening that had started with Avro Part's, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten then the Britten Violin Concerto played by Gil Shaham.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I love this symphony too and am surprised it's not higher up on the list. I'll be listening to Haitink/Concertgebouw here.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

This is a good one -- Neeme Jarvi and the Scottish National for me


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Everybody does a good job with the 6th! I listened to the Kondrashin on YouTube, referenced earlier.

I do particularly like the Petrenko.

Over half the total running time is that doom 'n gloom first movement. The last two movements come not only as a contrast but as a positive relief!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I am going with Bernstein on Sony.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I usually pull out the Barshai box, but this time I'll spin the CD that I bought 2 decades earlier: LSO/Previn on EMI.


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## shadowdancer (Mar 31, 2014)

I`ll join with Kondrashin as well
Rec 1967


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Mravinsky/Leningrad SO for me. Has its fair share of the usual sonic drawbacks with which we often associate with Soviet-era live recordings but I can get past that - Mravinsky and his orchestra turn in a powerful performance.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

I have Petrenkos and Barshai box. This time I pick Barshai.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Seriously one of my real favourite Shostakovich Symphonies, the Symphony "without a head", but for me without a preferred recording! It seems everyone does indeed do a good job with this one. I'll either go for Petrenko or Maris Janssons.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)




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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I listened to the Petrenko yesterday as a Naxos High Resolution download. It’s a fine performance but the recording quality doesn’t come near the downloads of the Shostakovich cycle with the Boston Symphony


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

2 favorites for me:
Bernstein/NYPO 
Reiner/PittsSO from 40s, in remarkably good sound.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Today I choose Vasily Petrenko, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra over Barshai which I have both in mp3.


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

I'll go with Previn.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I echo the comments of others with my astonishment that this symphony is so very far down the list. However, great to see it surface now and I will celebrate that fact with the old Berglund / Bournemouth SO recording on EMI vinyl. It's such a strong recording all round; one of these days I'll get it on CD.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Techniquest, that recording is in the Berglund Icon box set. There are four or five other fine Shostakovich Symphonies in there as well, including debatably an incomparable Eleventh.

Buy it, you know you need to!!!


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Robert Pickett said:


> Techniquest, that recording is in the Berglund Icon box set. There are four or five other fine Shostakovich Symphonies in there as well, including debatably an incomparable Eleventh.
> 
> Buy it, you know you need to!!!


Good grief, so it is! I bought that set last year and had completely forgotten that I had it. Thank you for waking me up!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

A "senior moment"? I am getting those more regularly than I used to......

The trouble with these wonderful value boxed sets is the contents can get trivialised when there's so much to choose from. I suspect that set can be taken for granted quite easily, as it contains only a few bits of Berglund's Sibelius? At least it has what is for me the best Kullervo on record....

But those Shostakovich Symphonies are great, Nos. 10 and 11 really special recordings, also his Nielsen 5th, and his is one of the very few Smetana Má vlast done by a non-Czech I really appreciate. I have a lot of time for his Vaughan Williams as well.

Irritatingly, Shostakovich 6 is split across two CDs. A minor inconvenience, but still an inconvenience.....


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I have lots of different versions but I've just played this one. Cracker!


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Robert Pickett said:


> A "senior moment"? I am getting those more regularly than I used to......
> 
> The trouble with these wonderful value boxed sets is the contents can get trivialised when there's so much to choose from. I suspect that set can be taken for granted quite easily, as it contains only a few bits of Berglund's Sibelius? At least it has what is for me the best Kullervo on record....
> 
> ...


I find that irritating as well but burned the discs to my computer and made my own cdr - problem solved.


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## Vaan (Nov 17, 2018)

The Bournemouth and Paavo Berglund is on again. And yes, the split into two discs is annoying.


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