# SS 22.09.18 - Shostakovich #3 "First Of May"



## 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. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 20 "First Of May"

1. Allegretto - Allegro
2. Andante
3. Largo
4. Moderato: 'V pérvoye, Pérvoye máya'

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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 another symphony is up for your enjoyment. This weekend it's the 3rd Symphony from Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. This is the last of Shostakovich's symphonies to appear on the Saturday Symphony and while it's not his most popular (at least in the recommendations on this list) I won't mind hearing it again.

I'll be listening to:







Rudolf Barshai/WDR Symphony Orchestra


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## derin684 (Feb 14, 2018)

Kondrashin maybe?


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall join in with the Petrenko version with the RLPO


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I'm usually a Barshai boy but will listen to this one tomorrow for a change.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I think I'll go with the little-known set from Oleg Caetani. Caetani is the son of conductor Igor Markevitch but has chosen to use his wife's surname.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

Haitink and London Philharmonic


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I prefer Petrenko slightly over Barshai for this one, so I'll go with that.


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

Not his greatest, even DSCH grudgingly admitted that the 2nd and 3rd symphonies were failures. I think that there is good music in both, especially the 2nd, but both choral finales are feeble to say the least. Still, DSCH was at the time inexperienced with choral writing so perhaps what he had to do here put him in good stead for later. I'll go with Rozhdestvensky here - even with a lame finale you may as well have a Soviet-era chorus.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Another Petrenko listener.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Will listen Gergiev


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

KenOC said:


> I think I'll go with the little-known set from Oleg Caetani. Caetani is the son of conductor Igor Markevitch but has chosen to use his wife's surname.


It's nice to see something from the Caetani cycle appear here; I don't have his recording of the 3rd, but his 11th and 7th are excellent readings.
This weekend I think I'll go with another lesser-known set, Dmitri Kitajenko; and his recording with the Cologne Gurzenich Orchestra and Prague Philharmonic Chorus on Capriccio.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Haitink and the LPO on Decca for me (I've played the Barshay not too long ago).


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Now playing:

View attachment 108128


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## Weird Heather (Aug 24, 2016)

Like Symphony No. 2, this symphony is widely regarded as a failed experiment. I would argue that it is an interesting failure; it doesn't quite work as a whole, but it has a lot of good moments. I listened to Royal Philharmonic/Morton Gould. I like Gould's approach to these two symphonies, especially in the choral propaganda pieces - the chorus and orchestra jump right into the music and have a good time with it. Propaganda of this sort is supposed to be lively and bombastic. Though the choral section is fun, I find that the instrumental section is more interesting and innovative - possibly too innovative for the authorities at the time, so perhaps the choral finale appeased them.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I listened to the Caetani performance which is divided into six segments, each with its tempo marking. The first five are instrumental, while the last (4-5 minutes, by no means the longest) adds a chorus.

In the instrumental portion of the symphony, it seems like Dmitri was simply overflowing with ideas, all of which he dumped in kind of haphazardly. The overall effect is one of frenetic excitement. Episode follows episode with little development. Whenever the music seems to be building toward some sort of climax, it goes racing off in a totally new direction. Musically and dramatically, resolutions are very hard to find. Fortunately many of the ideas are interesting and the orchestration is brilliant; but there is little here to bring any traditional kind of musical satisfaction. Even the short andante episodes barely temper the non-stop kaleidoscopic activity.

The final movement seems more traditional and, to me, not of much interest. Maybe if I were a dedicated Communist and spoke Russian I’d feel differently…or not.

In short, I kind of like this symphony, but not too often!


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