# Best Shostakovich Symphony Conductors



## Vox Gabrieli (Jan 9, 2017)

I'd like to create a cohesive list of the best conductors, much like the title suggests. I will create a top 5-10 person list of conductors.

If you need help deciding:


 Kondrashin
 Gergiev
 Karajan
 Bernstein
 Rozhdestvensky
 Wigglesworth
 Petrenko
 Anceri
 Weller
 Gimeno
 Toscanini
 Rostropovich
 Stokowski
 Boreyko
 Solti
 Haitink
 Horenstein
 Svetlanov
 NEW: Ormandy
 NEW: Ashkenazy
 NEW: Simon Rattle.... 

Cast a vote for your top five, and I will assemble a list. *Lets limit one vote per poster.
*
*The list so far:* ( At the moment just my votes ).


 Kondrashin
 Karajan
 Gergiev
 Toscanini
 Rostropovich


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

My votes:

1. Mravinsky
2. Barshai
3. Haitinik
4. Bernstein
5. Gergiev


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

1. Kondrashin
2. Mravinsky
3. Barshai
4. Petrenko
5. Maxim Shostakovich


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

1. Kondrashin. I'm stopping there.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> 1. Kondrashin. I'm stopping there.


That's a great place to stop!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Ormandy, Haitink, Bernstein and a relative newcomer I've been impressed with, Daniel Raiskin.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

No special order

Stokowski
Mravinsky
Bernstein
Solti
Rozh'sky
Kondrashin

also -

Toscanini
Previn
Rostropovich


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

My fave DSCH conductors, all around, are currently Petrenko and Jansons. But there are several individual symphonies where I like others better.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Kondrashin
Haitink 
Barshai


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## jailhouse (Sep 2, 2016)

the petrenko recordings are obviously the best overall


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Kondrashin
Mravinsky 
Barshai
Haitink


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Consider conductors Shostakovich may have worked directly with during preparation of the music. Those who premiered his works probably had close contact with him and got his ideas on the music first hand. Some of these conductors can be had directing the symphonies. It's a placed to start.

Yevgeny Mravinsky, one of my favorite conductors, was a true champion of Shostakovich's music, until ... until the _Babi Yar,_ number 13. Mravinsky gave world premieres of six symphonies by Shostakovich: numbers 5, 6, 8 (which Shostakovich dedicated to Mravinsky), 9, 10 and finally 12 in 1961. Mravinsky's refusal to conduct the premiere of Shostakovich's 13th Symphony, the controversial _Babi Yar_ in 1962, caused a permanent rupture in their friendship. Kiril Kondrashin, a fearless champion of the composer jumped at the chance to take Mravinsky's place, and it was he who led the premiere, in Moscow, on December 18, 1962. There is a live recording of this symphony made a short time after the premier by the same forces: orchestra, conductor, soloists. It's a must hear.

The premiere of the 7th symphony, in Leningrad, was given on August 9, 1942 by the Leningrad Radio Orchestra under Karl Eliasberg. A recording of the conductor performing this symphony exists.






The 11th was written in 1957 and premiered by the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Natan Rakhlin, on 30 October 1957. Recordings of this conductor doing this symphony are worth looking for.






The 14th received its official premiere in Leningrad on 29 September 1969 by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai. Barshai has recorded all of the Shostakovich symphonies, and they are well worth hearing.

The composer's son Maxim Shostakovich premiered the 15th. You can get a set of the symphonies by this conductor who, of course, knew the composer very well and likely shares many of his father's ideas about the music.

The 4th symphony was premiered on 30 December 1961 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra led by Kirill Kondrashin, decades after the work had been composed (in the mid 1930s). Kondrashin is worth hearing for his Shostakovich.

Shostakovich's First Symphony was first performed by his conservatory orchestra in 1926; afterwards Shostakovich met conductor Bruno Walter at the Warsaw International Piano Competition. Walter was so impressed with the work that he premiered in in Berlin later in 1927. By 1930, Shostakovich's name was known from New York to London as famous conductors like Walter, Leopold Stokowski, Artur Rodzinski, and Arturo Toscanini performed the First Symphony with the world's best orchestras. These, too, are conductors worth exploring with Shostakovich.

I didn't include the 2nd and 3rd here, because no conductor can really do much to resurrect those two pieces. But do find copies and listen to them, at least once.

We know that Shostakovich favored certain conductors with his work. One of them is Leonard Bernstein, and you can't go wrong with the famous 1959 recording of the 5th by Bernstein and the NYP. Too, his take on the 7th is masterful as well.

But whichever conductor you choose, the symphonies have much to offer, and you do yourself a disservice listening only to a single interpretation. Which is why I treasure having a dozen or more interpretations of these works on hand, including those by Kondrashin, Mravinsky, Bernstein, Barshai, son Maxim, and so many others.

I have probably only been really disappointed by cellist Rostropovich's go with the symphonies. Though his closing movement of the Fifth is rather exciting, much else seems to me lackluster. And Rostropovich knew Shostakovich. I recommend him performing the cello concertos as a player. But you might want to stay away from him as a conductor of Shostakovich music. But ... this is solely my opinion. I will turn to the Rostropovich interpretations every now and then, if only to hear if my initial opinions on their merits still stand. So far, they are.


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## Rys (Nov 26, 2016)

Your list has one serious flaw--- It's missing Mravinsky. Mravinsky has easily the rudest and saddest sounds in his Shostakovich recordings; an attribute that is critical in conducting Shostakovich. It's a shame Mravinsky's recording technology wasn't at the same level it is today.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Haitink and Bernstein.


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## merlinus (Apr 12, 2014)

Bernstein, Petrenko, K. Sanderling, and Mravinski.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I can't claim to have heard every conductor in every work but in general Russian Conductors seem to understand and convey this music the best. Russian Orchestras, otoh, while probably being attuned to the idiom, can be a bit spotty in their sound, so I tend to prefer Russian Conductors leading Western Orchestras. The Barshai cycle with a West German orchestra is a solid recommendation, or Kitaenko (with the same Orchestra). Among non Russians, the first Haitink cycle is superb. Ormandy in 4,5, & 10 is pretty good to and the Philadelphia Orchestra of that vintage was a great Shostakovich Orchestra


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

1. Barshai
2. Kondrashin
3. Nelsons (check the new BSO 10th if there is any doubt)


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Triplets said:


> I can't claim to have heard every conductor in every work but in general Russian Conductors seem to understand and convey this music the best. Russian Orchestras, otoh, while probably being attuned to the idiom, can be a bit spotty in their sound, so I tend to prefer Russian Conductors leading Western Orchestras. * The Barshai cycle with a West German orchestra is a solid recommendation*, or Kitaenko (with the same Orchestra). Among non Russians, the first Haitink cycle is superb. Ormandy in 4,5, & 10 is pretty good to and the Philadelphia Orchestra of that vintage was a great Shostakovich Orchestra


The Barshai cycle is stunningly great, and seems to be something of an unknown gem. Recommended.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Mine is Vasily Petrenko with the RLPO. 

Have the whole cycle performed by them!


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

I will only comment on specific symphonies:

1: Markevitch
2-3: Gould
4: Kondrashin
5-7: Stokowski
8: Mravinsky
9: Rozhdestvensky
10-12: Mravinsky
13: Kondrashin
14: Barshai
15: Maxim Shostakovich


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

The best ones in my opinion (alphabetical order - not all conductors are equally good at all symphonies):

Rudolf Barshai
Oleg Caetani
Kirill Kondrashin
Yevgeny Mravinsky
Vasily Petrenko
Kurt Sanderling
Yevgeni Svetlanov
Mark Wigglesworth


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Sorry but:

1. Petrenko
2. Petrenko
3. Petrenko
4. Petrenko
5. Petrenko


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Judith said:


> Mine is Vasily Petrenko with the RLPO.
> 
> Have the whole cycle performed by them!


Me too. I attended some of the cycle... Just amazing.


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

With the caveat that I've not heard most of the classic recordings, Petrenko is easily my favorite.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have the Barshai cycle and I'm very happy with that. I also have all symphonies in separate recordings, of these I would pick Haitink as my favourite.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> I will only comment on specific symphonies:
> 
> 1: Markevitch
> 2-3: Gould
> ...


My revision:

1: Mravinsky
2-3: Mravinsky
4: Mravinsky
5-7: Mravinsky
8: Mravinsky
9: Mravinsky
10-12: Mravinsky
13: Mravinsky
14: Mravinsky
15: Fine... I'll agree with M. Shostakovich for this one- Amazing interpretation.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Bix said:


> Me too. I attended some of the cycle... Just amazing.


Saw them live last year with Petrenko and they were all amazing!!


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Judith said:


> Saw them live last year with Petrenko and they were all amazing!!


We might have been at the same concerts


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Bix said:


> We might have been at the same concerts


Was at Leeds Town Hall last year!


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## Logos (Nov 3, 2012)

Complete symphonies conducted by Kondrashin in high quality:


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

Judith said:


> Was at Leeds Town Hall last year!


Ah all of mine where at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool.

Leeds is a lovely city.


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## Machiavel (Apr 12, 2010)

Nobody has mention Kitajenko cycle sacd. IS it that bad compare to the likes of Mravinski, BArshai and Kondrashin


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Kondrashin, Bernstein, Rozhdestvensky, Mravinsky for me. But then again, both Neemi Jarvi & Yevgeny Svetlanov are quite solid as well.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Petrenko, Mravinsky, Gergiev, & Bernstein are all excellent but my personal favorite for DSCH is Haitink.


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