# Big Shostakovich fan - Where next?



## Miserable Sod (May 2, 2017)

I adore the music of Shostakovich/Sibelius/Mahler and was wondering where I could find similar music? I've almost finished the Shostakovich and Sibelius symphony cycles and am about halfway through Mahlers. I was hoping to find some equally moving music to help mix things up a bit?

Many thanks.


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

Please look for music by Mieczysław Weinberg (sometimes written as Moishe Vainberg). Born in Poland he lived mostly in the Soviet Union where he met and became a good friend of Shostakovich. In my opinion, Weinberg is an unjustly neglected composer, although I do believe slowly but surely he is getting to be better known. He left an impressive large body of work including twenty-two symphonies and seventeen string quartets.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Well not similar, but great nonetheless, a couple that come to mind: Wagner and R. Strauss.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Challenge your ears and try Alfred Schnittke! Maybe first a cello sonata?


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I agree that you should check out Schnittke, also I would listen to Prokofiev and see if he is up your alley, if you haven't already. Try a great recording of Prokofiev 5 with Levine conducting or Piano Concerto No.2.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Try Carl Nielsen's symphonies.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Richard Strauss
Arnold Bax 
Josef Suk


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

wkasimer said:


> Try Carl Nielsen's symphonies.


That was going to be my recommendation. You may also want to try the Symphonies of Walter Piston and Ralph Vaughn Williams. And let's not forget Prokofiev.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

William Schuman might be a good alternative.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

+1 on Vainberg and Schnittke.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Enjoying Sibelius, you might enjoy the symphonies of Howard Hanson.

Enjoying Mahler, I have to chime in with some earlier posts......Richard Strauss (posts 3 & 7)!

Enjoying Shostakovick, you might want to check out Mussorgsky as well as Weinberg (post #2).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Do you have Brahms and Bruckner under you belt already?


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

Robert Simpson (1921-1997) - all of his 11 symphonies and most of his chamber works (including 15 string quartets) were recorded for Hyperion and are still available one way or the other. Wikipedia has a very good entry on him, with write-ups on each of the symphonies and much else besides.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

distantprommer said:


> Please look for music by Mieczysław Weinberg (sometimes written as Moishe Vainberg). Born in Poland he lived mostly in the Soviet Union where he met and became a good friend of Shostakovich. In my opinion, Weinberg is an unjustly neglected composer, although I do believe slowly but surely he is getting to be better known. He left an impressive large body of work including twenty-two symphonies and seventeen string quartets.


As well as some excellent violin sonatas.


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## Oortone (Mar 27, 2013)

Depending on what yopu like by Shostakovich this might be interesting:

Allan Pettersson: Symphony no. 7
Recommendded conductor: Antal Dorati

If you like Shostakovich when he's really in agony, you might like Pettersson. He's not as rythmic as Shostakovich but the emotional intensity in this symphony is comparable with Shostakovich. I believe the symphonies adjacent to seven are similar but I'm not too familiar with them. His seventh is in my opinion the best Swedish symphony ever written. Not that there are many, but still...


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Miserable Sod said:


> I adore the music of Shostakovich/Sibelius/Mahler and was wondering where I could find similar music?


Spotify might have some... except they might stop supporting your HiFi streaming device... so try buying CDs at your local charity shop instead.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Do you have Brahms and Bruckner under you belt already?


best recommendations here


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Shostakovich=moving towards our time, go later type Giya Kancheli & Krzysztof Penderecki


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