Customer Reviews

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies - Mariss Jansons (10 CD)

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

 

 

Mariss Jansons and various orchestras have finally completed a noteworthy and valuable Shostakovich symphonic cycle just in time for Dmitri's Century birthday year. I have to be the first to say that I love the cycle. Performances from 1988-2005, these really are arguable definitive recordings of the works. At first, I was skeptical of the Jansons cycle because I myself was a little disappointed with his Tchaikovsky cycle with the Oslo Philharmonic. But having studied with great shostakovich conductors seem to really add something to all of his performances whether its the 1st symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic, the 8th with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, or the incomporable 11th with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It certainly demonstrates that Jansons is a man of many talents if he can whip any orchestra into shape.

I definitely think this cycle outshines Bernard Haitink's late 70's early 80's performances with the RCO/LPO. I also would go far as to say that they are on par with Jarvi's cycle with RSNO/GSO. Rudolf Barshai also produced a cycle in the 80's with the West German Symphony and its also quite good, but again, I feel as though Jansons benefits by first rate orchestras and suporior sound quality.

In short - its quite an achievement, and I await further recordings from a first rate conductor.

Mariss Jansons,Latvian conductor,who was a protege of legendary Evgeny Mravinsky,finally completed his Shostakovich cycle 20 years after starting.Jansons had magnificent orchestras at his disposal.Not to mention first class sound quality by EMI.So eveything was set for Jansons to score the perfect Shostakovich cycle.He could not manage to do that (5th symphony)but he came very,very close.

Jansons seems to love Shostakovich with every single aspect of his composing.He understands and shares the point behind each symphony.His interpretations are full of inner fire,tension,drama and purpose.That puts him head and shoulders above the competition at the unknown symphonies;1,2 and 3.At the fourth Jansons delivers a hypnotic experience.Top notch execution by Symphonieorchester des BR.Fifth is far from Russian.The only problematic interpretation of the set is the fifth.It is odd really,charming and delicious fifth was really enjoyable but i expected more.Jansons tries to put tension and high drama on it but gorgeous Viennese sound -though the execution is simply put perfect- was not a good choice for this bitter masterpiece.Sixth alongside with 9th are however Russian in sound,perfect in climax and exemplary as a whole.Seventh is not exaggerated like Bernstein's Chicago version but wonderfully dark and Russian,wonderfully played by Leningrad Philharmonic.8th symphony matches the magnificence of Mravinsky's definitive BBC account with a better sound and without a cough brigade.Under Jansons' baton the tension never drops.10th is also magnificent.The famous Scherzo which is said to be the dances over Stalin's grave or a musical portrait of bloody tyrant never sounded more demonic than this(Mravinsky however sounded as demonic).Eleventh is full of drama and tension.Jansons sent me to that bloody Sunday morning in 9th of January 1905 and brought tears to my eyes.I never cared for the 12th like i care for 11th but it seems Jansons does.Again he is dramatic, builds climaxes superbly and gives a definitive account.13th is a hair-raising account.Symphonieorchester is full of commitment and Aleksashkin is unbelievably dark and emotional as soloist.14th and 15th shows the obsessive genius's fear of death so clearly and closes this superb cycle greatly.

So this cycle is worthy of a 20 year waiting.These are definitive recordings of 14 Shostakovich symphonies.Fifth is also delicious but not Russian.In its full of tension and dramatic ways the music in these 10 cds definitely reaches the cosmos(Jansons stated in an interview:"In a concert or in a recording the aim should be reaching the cosmos.Players should be thinking about that only.They should not think about if they should play more crescendo.Rehearsal is the time for that.)just like his earlier cycles of Rachmaninov's orchestral works and Tchaikovsky's symphonies.

I am being a little stingy not granting Jansons' complete Shostakovich cycle four stars, but I can't escape feeling disappointed. Over the long years and many orchestras that have come to pass since he started, Jansons has promised a successor to Haitink's acclaimed Decca cycle with the Concertgebouw and London Phil. of the Eighties. Yet nothing has much improved. I know both cycles fairly well, and Jansons hits no definite home runs. Despite his musical pedigree -- both Mariss and his father Arvid were associated with Mravinsky and the Leningrad Phil.--Jansons tends to be more cautious and even faceless compared to Haitink, who is no firebrand.

I cant' argue with admirers who point to the fine execution and excellent balances, the discipline and the good engineering here. But Shostakovich needs fire and inspiration to overcome his weaknesses, which are severe. The music often sprawls, relies on banal themes, dips into depressive melancholy, or at the other extreme indulges in insincrere jollity that seems politically motivated. Whatever your position on these issues, Shostakovich is an enigma looking for someone to unlock it. As steady and purposeful as these readings are, I don't think Jansons holds that key.

If I were collecting the fifteen symphonies individually, which is still the best way, I'd go for the relatively unknown ones from Jansons, such as #2, #3, and #4, which bring out the best in him. He doesn't excel at the famous Fifth and is middle-of-the-road in the Sixth and Seventh (his live Seventh with the Concertgebouw is another story--I would place it among the very best). At a high standard but not keeping up with the legendary Mravinsky are Jansons' Eighth, Nintth, and Tenth. I don't much care what happens in the windy Eleventh and Twelfth, but the final trio, #13-15, greatly interest me. In these works I found Jansons steady and reliable but not riveting or inspired.

On the whole, then, this is a consistent cycle that keeps up with Haitink's without cresting over it.

The Shostakovich Jansons box set is recorded over almost a 20 year period. The undisputable gems are the 1st, 5th, 7th, 11th, and 15th. In short Jansons is strong where Shostakovich's popularity is generally strong. When I say gems I mean they are like diamonds. Not only are they the best in the set they are some of the best recorded and performed Shostakovich ever. The most popular Shostakovich symphony the 5th was recorded live with the Vienna Philharmonic which is probably the greatest orchestra in the world at the time. It's hard to find this version as a single now although it deserves to be in every serious Shostakovich collection. The 1st symphony is with the second greatest symphony orchestra in the world the Berlin Philharmonic! It is played and interpretted with precision. It is my favorite 1st in print only otherwise available coupled with the piano concertos of Shostakovich with Mikhail Rudy. The 15th symphony is with the London Philharmonic. It is sometimes perceived as quirky, but Jansons gets it right in the slow movements. Also sometimes out of print and very valuable recording.
The 7th is almost historic being played by the then Leningrad Philharmonic. I didn't look at the credits to see if they changed to the St. Petersburg PO.(same city). This 7th used to be in my top three picks out of about 50 recordings that I have of it. The 11th is a very underrated symphony and Jansons shows why it is one of Shostakovich's strongest dark horses. This alone should sell you on this set. But there is more.....

Jansons recorded the 6th and the 9th early in his career. They are very good don't get me wrong, but the Largo is the 6th and the psuedo-slow movement in the 9th are both just a tad fast kind of like Mravinsky. His 8th seems a little out of place. Oddly enough there is a part of a rehearsal included on the CD with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The 10th is good, but I am really picky when it comes to this great work. I would probably take Karajan or Jarvi over Jansons.

More or less the rest of the set the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 13th, and 14th are with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Jansons has matured, but at the same time he has lost some steam. The best with the BRSO is the 14th symphony which everyone hates because it is really song cycle. If you just listen to the percussion and strings Jansons does a top notch job. Only the soprano with her whispery wispy voice seems to mar this otherwise outstanding performance. The 13th is the next best CD and the bass soloist has recorded this for about the fourth time on CD! I think he is getting a little bit tired. The 12th symphony passes with my friends and they like it so I won't comment further. The 2nd and 3rd symphonies are Shostakovich's worst and a good effort, but no prize. The 4th symphony holds it's own with the competition.

So ends the Jansons box set. As I say this is about as good as you are going to do at this point. Conductors are only good at conducting some symphonies of Shostakovich. Giving the time frame here it is surprising just how cohesive this cycle is.

If I were to guess another Shostakovich cycle I would say Haitink's, but then I hate his 14th symphony because it is in original languages.

If you ask me about Kondrashin. I would say that his interpretations seem to be more self-indulgent and lack the moderation that Jansons brings to a more tempered rendition.

But staying focussed and on this Jansons set I think it is worth every penny especially what others are asking for their sets. Don't forget the gems in this set either!

Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Kondrashin (11 CD Set)

Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies

This set is a true bargain. The performances are uniformly excellent, as is the recorded sound. The liner notes are informative and well-written. What I particularly like about this set is the variety of orchestras recorded. It's amazing to hear the St. Petersburg orchestra do the Leningrad symphony, with appropriately pungent woodwinds and brass throughout, then switch to the more "mainstream" 10th done with the super-slick Philly orchestra, etc. Jansons makes excellent cases for the lesser-known works, with sharply defined rhythms and consistently excellent balance throughout all works. The works with chorus or solo voices work extremely well. I wish EMI would have included all of Jansons' couplings (the piano concertos w/ Rudy, cello concertos w/ Mork, etc.) to give a truly unprecedented Shostakovich set, but that's a very minor complaint. The price is right here - don't miss this set.

This set deserves 5 stars based on the performances. But my set contains a CD number 6 that has problems. I arranged for a replacement set from Amazon, but that set had the same poor CD 6. Thus I have concluded that all current CD sets have a defective CD 6. Some players I used could not access the disc. Those that could produced sounds with pops and clicks: sounded like an old LP record. I have written to EMI, but no results so far.

I absolutely love 9 of the 10 disks in this set. Disk six is defective. I have tried it in three different CD players or computer CD drives. The disk will play in all three, but there is persistent noise and crackling on top of the music throughout the disk. There are no scratches or apparent damage. I think it's a bad pressing or some other form of manufacturing defect. Another reviewer made this comment on this set giving it one star. I am placing my comment here as I want to make sure buyers are adequately warned. As I've said, the disk does not appear to have any damage and in light of the experience of the other reviewer, an exchange does not seem to have a high likelihood of resolving the problem.

I proposed that Amazon give me a discount on another recording of Shostakovich's 7th, the only symphony on disk six. Since I had not listened to all 14 symphonies within 30 days to check them for defects, Amazon would not compensate me in any fashion. I bought another recording of the 7th, no big deal.

Fast forward to February 18th, 2009. I purchase another EMI box set: Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet. The last two minutes of the first disk, the final movement of Quartet in F major, Op.59 No.1, the first "Rasumovsky" quartet is full of skips and other sound defects. Nothing visible. It's factory direct incompetence. I'm now checking the other disks, but its March 20th. Burned again. Fortunately in this instance, I already have another set of Beethoven's middle string quartets. Hopefully it's just the one disk. I'll have to listen to find out. I understand if a box set is labeled a "budget" set because there may be a consensus that there are better recordings available, more highly appreciated interpretations, or both, but the CD should work, and one shouldn't have to listen to 5, 10, or 20 hours of music as soon as they buy it to ensure they're not getting screwed. I'll never buy another disk from EMI again. I've bought 100s of CDs and to have this happen twice in six months with the same label is simply unacceptable. They are now black listed. It's a shame, because the music's great, but I cannot stomach giving EMI another penny. How much can they possibly be saving by failing to implement reasonable quality control in their factories?

Usually, I don't give reviews because I feel, especially when it comes to music, I am not a very good critic. In the case of this product, it is only reasonable and kind advice to fellow humanity to say the following: Avoid this product; CD no. "6" is completely defective, as there is a rapid, loud, "skipping/clicking/popping" noise, which is unacceptable listening; CD no. "9" has a similar problem that's just half as bad as no. "6", which is still unacceptable in my opinion.

All that said, if you don't mind missing out on Shostakovich's "Symphony no. 7" (CD no. "6") or the last part of his "Symphony no. 11" (CD no. "9") the performances are great.

Great collection of the Shostakovich symphonies. Recording is clear; orchestra is dynamic. Great program notes, too. One of the best recordings of #15 that I have heard in a while.