# 100 Favorites: # 82



## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

*Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
Kirill Kondrashin, Moscow PO (Melodiya/MHS)*










Anyone who enjoys Shostakovich's music should hear Kondrashin's performance of the Fourth. From opening moments, it's clear that the performance will be marked by an unrelenting, gripping intensity. I've heard many conductors perform this sprawling, Mahlerian symphony. The strongest contenders include Rozhdestvensky with the USSR Ministry of Culture SO, Barshai with the WDR SO, Previn with the CSO, and Rattle with the CBSO. That said, to my ears, none of these others approach the level of Kondrashin's extraordinary performance.


----------

