Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony 4 - Haitink

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1. I. Allegretto poco moderato - Presto
2. II. Moderato con moto
3. III. Largo - Allegro
   

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Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphonys 5 & 9 - Bernard Haitink

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1. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 - 1. Moderato
2. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 - 2. Allegretto
3. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 - 3. Largo
4. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 - 4. Allegro non troppo
5. Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70 - 1. Allegro
6. Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70 - 2. Moderato
7. Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70 - 3. Presto -
8. Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70 - 4. Largo -
9. Symphony No.9 in E flat, Op.70 - 5. Allegretto

 This release vividly illustrates Bernard Haitink's variable success with the Shostakovich symphonies. Alongside a few really excellent performances (Symphonies Nos. 5, 8, 13, and 15), there are some that are more or less good (Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 14), as well as a few outright failures (Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 6, and 12). You'll note that, Symphony No. 6 aside, Haitink does least well with what are generally conceded to be the weakest works. Indeed, his interpretations are always strong on basic musicality, but short on humor, bitterness, garishness, bombast--in short, those moments of extreme tension or emotional excess that give some of this music its unique excitement and character. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to say that Haitink underplays the Fifth Symphony. Aside from the magnificent orchestral contribution, there's plenty of fire in the first movement climax (and a coda of ghostly beauty), ample poetry and intensity in the Largo, and a finale that takes its triumph at face value (though I personally prefer the more ambivalent readings of, say, Maxim Shostakovich, Kondrashin, Sanderling, or Rostropovich). In the Ninth, though, Haitink misses some of the clowning in the first movement, which ideally needs a marginally less brisk tempo to make its points. His Scherzo also lacks devilishness and bravura, while the finale never really catches fire. He's at his best in the slow music, the lovely second movement especially, but that's only two-fifths of the work. Still, the performance certainly isn't terrible, and the Fifth ranks among the best. So at mid-price I'd not hesitate a minute. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Shostakovich - Symphony No. 7 - Valery Gergiev

Buy   1. Symphony No.7, Op.60 - "Leningrad" - 1. Allegretto   2. Symphony No.7, Op.60 - "Leningrad" - 2. Moderato (poco allegretto)   3. Symphony No.7, Op.60 - "Leningrad" - 3. Adagio   4. Symphony No.7, Op.60 - "Leningrad" - 4. Allegro non troppo

This is one of Valery Gergiev's finer performances on disc. His rhythmically taut, propulsive conducting makes for a powerful rendition of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony--one that is strongly argued and purposefully projects the work's grand, dramatic sweep. Like Rostropovich, Gergiev successfully delineates the music's varied emotional states, vividly communicating its euphoria, melancholy, and despair, but also its defiance and determination. Gergiev is greatly aided by the combined forces of the Kirov and Rotterdam orchestras, which offer enthusiastic and deeply committed playing--and generate some exceptionally voluminous climaxes (although Bernstein makes even more noise with only one orchestra, namely the Chicago Symphony on his stunning DG recording). Of course, it's not possible to tell from an audio-only presentation just how the orchestral duties were apportioned, but you do hear an extra phalanx of brass suddenly appear as the first movement's juggernaut abruptly changes key, and also in the closing passages of the finale. The wide-ranging recording captures the huge sonic mass of the combined orchestras as well as the character of the highly reverberant venue. In fact, the reverberation works against the sound in some tutti passages, where you occasionally hear what first appears to be distortion, but actually turns out to be the harsh clashing of echoes and re-echoes (perhaps the multi-channel SACD version will resolve this issue). No matter, this recording (which was made in conjunction with live performances by the assembled forces) makes for a uniquely enthralling experience of Shostakovich's grand wartime symphony. --Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com FLAC Check Comments