# Shostakovich's 8th Symphony



## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

First, how do you like this work overall?

The opening themes of this symphony and DS' 5th Symphony are similar. Is that a coincidence?

The opening of the 3rd movement of the 8th is similar to the 3rd movement of the _Eroica_. Again, a coincidence?


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## prlj (10 mo ago)

I don't hear people talk about the 8th very often, but it's absolutely one of my favorites. 

When I see a new set of Shosty symphonies, the third movement of the 8th is the first place I go.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

I love it, especially the 3rd movement. If you haven't heard it before, Haitink with the Concertgebouw is the place to start.


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

My experience is that it is a work that is often referred to and rated as one of his best symphonies (by my friends, British media and other discussion forums).

I love Haitink's 8 on Decca, although I'll admit to it being the first one I ever heard and owned a copy of, which might explain my partisanship, apart from the fact that it is an awe-inspiring performance and recording (hats off to the Decca engineers).

For me it's the first movement that is the breath-taker, with the best and most beautiful cor anglais solo ever written!


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

My head says his fourth is his best symphony and my heart says it's the eighth..........


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Shostakovich's 8th is incredible from start to finish. I'm honestly surprised it didn't get him killed. To add further insult to injury, his 9th pushes the envelope even further, but in a completely sarcastic and sardonic way. These two symphonies back-to-back would've ended the life of any other Soviet Era composer.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Though I treasure the Fifth as my favorite of the Shostakovich symphonies, I recognize that the 8th and the 10th are in a similar league of greatness, and may even outperform the merits of that one I favor highest. The Shostakovich 8th is certainly a treasure.

I remain a long-time "Mission Impossible" fan (the Peter Graves/JimPhelps edition, not the Tom Cruise bowdlerization!) and I've often wondered (since that first time I heard the opening measures of the Shostakovich EIghth, which was quite some time ago) if that served as inspiration for Lalo Schifrin when he penned the theme/incidental music for the television drama.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> I love it, especially the 3rd movement. If you haven't heard it before, Haitink with the Concertgebouw is the place to start.


*Shostakovich's 8th Symphony*
*Bernard Haitink, Concertgebouw Orchestra*

*



*


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

The moment where the 3rd movement ends, in a self-destructing climax, and seamlessly leads into the dark sound world of the passacaglia is one of the greatest moments in Shostakovich' music - and perhaps in all 20th century music.


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## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

Mravinsky, part of the 3rd movement.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

RobertJTh said:


> The moment where the 3rd movement ends, in a self-destructing climax, and seamlessly leads into the dark sound world of the passacaglia is one of the greatest moments in Shostakovich' music - and perhaps in all 20th century music.


I listened to the 8th last night (Kitajenko on Capriccio) and I certainly hear what you mean. It is marvelous without a doubt. In fact, I may listen to another performance tonight. Maybe Kondrashin, Haitink or Mravinsky. So many good ones out there.


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## feierlich (3 mo ago)

My favourite Shostakovich symphony, also arguably his best. Mravinsky's recording on Altus is the textbook performance for me, every note is just spot on.
(The Philips one has wrong pitch)


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

feierlich said:


> My favourite Shostakovich symphony, also arguably his best. Mravinsky's recording on Altus is the textbook performance for me, every note is just spot on.
> (The Philips one has wrong pitch)
> View attachment 180107


Talking about the infamous *Philips *recording, 

*Alto*'s release of this recording claimed explicitly "pitch corrected", meaning that it had corrected the mastering tape playback speed, so its run time is therefore longer than the *Philips*. 

On the other hand, while *Altus*' release did not state that, it's run time is even longer than the *Alto*! their tape playback speed must be different. 

*Regis*' runtime is exactly the same as the *Alto*, so they probably used the same master.

I have not heard the releases from *Icone *and *Russian Disc*. From their stated track times (i.e. silences included), the *Icone* is probably the same the *Philips*, while the *Russian Disc* is definitely shorter than the *Altus* but I don't know how much shorter, so I have no idea how much it has adjusted the playback speed (try to get one's head around this!)

Therefore, I don't honestly know which release(s) has the correct speed! (The only thing we know is that the Philips definitely has the wrong speed.)

Having said that, I have seen releases/discographies stating the recording date as either "1982.03.28" or "1982.03.27 or 28". Info like this can be revealing - Perhaps, like some other Mravinsky recordings, it could be a blend of concerts; or, althoguh this may be a bit farfetched, perhaps theses releases have taken different bits from the 2 days and therefore their run times are of course different.

Fascinating, isn't it?


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## LKB (Jul 27, 2021)

The Eighth fascinates me. The only recording on CD l know is Haitink's, but I've watched a couple of concerts on YouTube, which is fun.

Haitink described the third movement as something like a terrible machine, but it's my favorite movement just the same. 😁

My favorite isolated _passage_ though is, rather oddly, nearly inaudible. Just before the coda in the passacaglia, there is an extended clarinet solo. At one point the strings interrupt with the theme, followed by gentle chordal arpeggios. While this is happening, the clarinet softens and simply oscillates in half steps, as though waiting for the strings to finish so he can continue the solo. Shostakovich could easily have had the clarinet rest instead, it would have made little difference. Yet he took the trouble to score it... why? Just to keep the clarinet " in the game ", on standby? Simply as counterpoint? It's a pleasant little mystery.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

Excellent Sym. Haventl listened in awhile. Too much music out there!


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I posted a study of 4 great recordings of DS #8 a little while back
Haitink/CBO
Solti/!CSO
MravinskyLenPO x2 '59, and '76 (??)

My favorites are Solti and Mravinsky '59.....this is really heavy duty stuff....DS 8 is a great piece, quite possibly his best...but it is very difficult, demanding on the orchestra...
Dark, violent, brooding....this is not the glory the triumph of warfare...it is the terrible, pointless killing, destruction and loss associated with it.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

golfer72 said:


> Excellent Sym. Haventl listened in awhile. Too much music out there!


The same problem I have every day


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I'd say the *Eighth Symphony* is, with the *Tenth*, Shostakovich's greatest achievement in symphonic format. Friends of his said on the video "Shostakovich Agaisnt Stalin: The War Symphonies" that the Eighth Symphony is about totalitarianism. In his book "The New Shostakovich" Ian MacDonald said the Eighth is indeed about totalitarianism and the terror, with its unrelenting darkness and drive today better understood in these terms than during the war years. 

I agree and think that is clear from the opening motif, the slow and rather dreary music that dominates. I wrote my impressions of this symphony, and my interpretation of its hidden meaning, in my Amazon review to wit:

1st movement: right from the minor string strikes that open the music, this is tge mirror of awakening to a new day under totalitarianism. Mravinsky's 25-minute travail is a threndoy on the human spirit being crushed.

2nd movement: I am uncertain about this interlude but think it may be caricature of the individual being confronted by authority in Stalin's Soviet Union by the way it creates heightened heart rate and unease.

3rd movement: this is clearly an example of a day in a Soviet factory of prison labor camp, with the drama, terror, noise and commotion intact.

4th movement: this is the beginning of the end of that day and a time when the individual can begin to relent.

5th movement: here the individual can finally escape the terror by falling asleep and going to a dream world where totalitarianism doesn't exist.

It is clear in the Tenth Symphony Shostakovich was outlining the dictator Stalin with the DSCH motto. These two symphonies are the pinnacle of his achievement in symphonic form, in my opinion, both ahead of the Fifth Symphony -- another war symphony with a hidden meaning.


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