Customer Reviews

Ovation--Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 1 and 3 / Haitink

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The easy bit is the rating to give this disc. Belief and commitment, top class playing and choral work and excellent sound make this a routine 5* job. The less easy bit, for me certainly, is what to make of the music. I am in no doubt at all of Shostakovich's significance, and I have got less conservative as I have got older - I like Bartok, I have some Schoenberg and Berg favourites, and I am very keen indeed on Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Britten and Walton. One thing I can say with my hand on my heart about Shostakovich is that he certainly does not bore me. There is no mistaking the power of the inspiration, what I can't make up my mind about is how coherent is this music? Shostakovich is unusually eclectic - I am tempted to say he is sometimes consistent but not always. He can switch abruptly from tonal smoothness to acid dissonance, and from 19th century orchestration (maybe with a bit of piano obbligato) to big-drum effects and tambourine-man-style episodes, although I guess even Nielsen went in for those too. It does not take much knowledge of history to appreciate that the political pressures on him were greater than on his politically-aware and sometimes even politically active predecessors Beethoven, Wagner and Verdi, but I can't see how any assessment of his music can just say that such-and-such of his several styles reflected his situation at such-and-such a time and leave it at that. His music, anyone's music, has to stand on its own feet. These two symphonies are from the 20's, before the big Stalinist foot came down. The first is remarkably assured for an op10, and the slow movement in particular has a lot to say to me even as `absolute' music. #3 ends with a choral paean to the revolutionary glories of 1 May, and at least in English translation the poem is not as bad as it might have been given its theme. It does not descend to the level of Peter Ustinov's spoof theme (obviously with Shostakovich in mind) `Your mother cannot weep for you, she is building a tank'. As I listened to this choral finale, in its relatively traditional idiom, I was impressed by a powerful piece of music which must surely have reflected some sincere identification with the sentiment of the text. I am not ideologically opposed to revolutionary aims (as distinct from how they tend to work out in practice), but I ended having heard some fine music and completely unstirred politically. That's music for me. Bach, Handel, Mozart and Schubert set some of their greatest music to texts that were outright rubbish, and nothing in their life-stories illuminates their music for me in the slightest. Do I have to listen in a different way to Shostakovich?

I'm a big fan of Shostakovich, with over 20 CDs of his music. This is one of my least favorite CDs. The playing is skilled, and the musicians play the notes well. However, they lack the spirit, the understanding of the music. The finale of the third movement is especially disappointing. I can feel a bit of emotion in it, but I more feel that the piece could be done much better, and could feel much more powerful. Interestingly, the Naxos recording of the 2nd symphony of his also doesn't strike me as much emotionally either. I am satisfied with the later symphonies on Naxos, though. I don't know whether my dislike for this CD when compared to my other Shostakovich CDs is from it being an early symphony, or from it being a poor interpretation of the symphony.

I've found that with Russian music, such as that of Shostakovich, Schnittke, Borodin, and others, that the Moscow Studio label is the best one, and carries the Russian spirit of the music the best. While I have not heard the Moscow Studio version of the first and third symphonies, I have about a half dozen other CDs by Moscow Studio, and I've found their interpretations to always be more Russian and to carry the emotion better than any other label.

If you like dark, brooding and more Russian interpretations of Shostakovich, then buy the Moscow Studio version of his first and third symphonies. If you don't like the brooding quality, then I don't know why you listen to Shostakovich in the first place.

So if you want a copy of the first and third symphonies specifically, buy the Moscow Studio version. If you want a starter on Shostakovich's music, then the first and third symphonies aren't the ones to start on.

His 10th and 8th symphonies are on Moscow Studio as well, and would be great ones to start on. His 13th and 14th symphonies are excellent vocal symphonies, so they aren't a good place to get started on Shostakovich unless you already know that you like Russian vocals. The 13th is an especially good showcase of the Russian Bass, so thats a good one to start on if you already know that you enjoy Russian Bass.
Shostakovich's 5th Symphony is his most famous symphony, so your best bet is to start there if you want to introduce yourself to Shostakovich's music.

This recording is a good recording, and is still worth listening to occasionally if you buy it, but its just does not have the same level of emotion in it that my other Shostakovich recordings have. That is why I advise against buying this album.