Customer Reviews

Piano Quintet in G Op 57

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

 

 

This is an historic partnering of Shostakovich with his favorite string group, the Beethoven Quartet, performing the masterpiece they together premiered in 1940. The quintet is an utterly powerful and expansive work with moments of great sublimity. The playing is masterful and Shostakovich's contribution on the piano something remarkable indeed. The work could be interpreted in many ways and indeed many great recordings of it exist. But the depth of the composer's personal and political struggles seem here to emerge from his fingertips with every note. The climactic Intermezzo is the deepest bittersweetness - draws tears every time. And Shostakovich's wonderful exchanges with the strings that then emerge joyful and triumphant in the finale are very satisfying. This record is great for catharsis and you can tell Shosty was feeling it too!

The record was made in 1960. It was remastered in 1994. I have this on vinyl too - naturally to be preferred by the audiophile - and for transfers from this period this disc is a bit substandard but really not at all bad. Some of the most important moments of extreme expressive dynamics do get gritty, but they sound like overtaxing of the microphones, hence inalterable aspects of the source tape. The performance without question outweighs any concern over this, however. The record is an absolute must for any Shostakovich afficianado and certainly for those of us who adore the quintet. The String Quartet Nr2 is pretty good - a nice little addition.

I am troubled to see this isn't on the market anymore. I should hope the only reason for that is the label intends a new remastering. The sound quality could indeed be greatly improved with the latest technology, and such a release would be a great and welcome event.

How wonderful it is to listen to the composer perform his own work.... If I enjoyed the actual music a smidge more, I'd rate this 5 stars.