Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin; October; Five Fragments

Charles Austin (Performer), Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Gerard Schwarz (Conductor), Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Charles Austin
• Orchestra: Seattle Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Gerard Schwarz
• Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
• Audio CD (March 21, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B000EBEGZ0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,101 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Shostakovich Rarity, March 22, 2006

By 

J P Falcon (Fords, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin; October; Five Fragments (Audio CD)

This release of Shostakovich's Execution of Stenka Razin, now available on NAXOS, conducted by Schwartz and the Seattle Symphony is a most welcome addition. Of all the works in the Shostakovich canon, this is one piece which has rarely been recorded. Even Neemi Jarvi, who conducts everything that was ever written, has not recorded this work. It is exciting music for bass solo, chorus and orchestra and it is a thrilling listening experience. Think of Shostakovich's Symphony #13 as a comparison, though there is a more cinamatic feel to this work which is not a bad thing. I have cherished an old Meloydia LP of a performance conducted by Kondrashin who lead the premier of the piece. There is a decent performance by Michail Jurowski on the Capriccio label, and an awful performance by Bulgarian forces, though I forget the label. There was also a performance conducted by Herbert Kegel, on Phillips, which suffers from an under-nourished Bass soloist and poor sound, and that is about it recording wise. The Kondrashin will always be #1 but this Seattle performance though quite good, sounds a bit "refined". It is a barbaric, brutal work that Russian orchestras from the 60's knew how to play, but since the Kondrashin is hard to find, this Naxos recording will amply suffice. The Seattle Symphony is a top notch band and Charles Robert Austin does an admirable job singing the difficult bass solo. Recommended without reservation and I would have given it a 5 star rating if the Kondrashin did not exist.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where has this piece been?, July 30, 2006

By 

Russ (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin; October; Five Fragments (Audio CD)

I have been a longtime fan of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), and had always been curious about "The Execution of Stepan Razin." But, I thought, if this truly was good Shostakovich, more modern recordings would exist. So, when this CD was released, I picked it up mainly out of curiosity. It took no more than me hearing the first minute of this work to realize that this was, in fact, a masterpiece.

The first six minutes of this half hour work contains some of the most intense symphonic writing that I have heard. The music surges forward with unyielding power until a more reflective central section is presented. The work concludes, almost unexpectedly, in dark fashion with a fierce orchestral tutti over a pounding timpani. "Stepan Razin" is scored for orchestra, chorus and bass soloist, bringing to mind the 13th symphony. Indeed, "Stepan Razin," composed two years after the 13th, bares many similarities to that symphony, but there are also similarities to the 11th. For instance, Shostakovich conjures up the same desolate depressing atmosphere as he does at the opening of the 11th in "Stepan Razin." Further, towards the end of "Stepan Razin" I half expected the bass clarinet from the finale of the 11th symphony to begin its frenzied solo after a series of powerful bass accents are heard. There are also similarities to some of Shostakovich's film scores. For me, Shostakovich's music to "Hamlet" often comes to mind here.

The piece itself concerns a 17th century Cossack, Stepan Razin, who revolted against the Czar. Stepan Razin was captured and executed, but "became a posthumous folk-hero, a symbol of the downtrodden and disenfranchised individual standing up to entrenched, brutal power." It seems possible that Shostakovich intended for piece to be interpreted more broadly, and perhaps the piece itself was a protest against the oppressive Soviet regime.

The tone poem "October" was premiered in 1967 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the October Revolution. Of Shostakovich's well-known works, it is probably closest in style to the 12th symphony. A lot of people are tough on the twelfth, maybe because they are looking for some deep meaning in it all. Similarly, many may feel indifferent towards "October" for its lack of profundity. Despite this, I think "October" is an exciting orchestral work. There are two main ideas in the composition, a menacing theme in ¾ meter, which opens the piece, and a "Partisan Song," first heard in the clarinets, in common time. Towards the end of the piece the two themes vie for control. Shostakovich is reluctant to let the menacing theme go, but eventually does and the piece ends in a triumphant flourish. I have a feeling that this piece would be a welcome addition to any concert program, as it's a real crowd pleaser, except that it was written in celebration of the Communist revolution. Too bad, I guess.

There's not much say about the five fragments dating from 1935, except they were considered "practice runs" for the fourth symphony and they last about between one and two minutes on average. To call these pieces random sketches, might be giving them too much credit. But I suppose it is good to have them on CD in case anyone is curious.

In summary, "October" is an exhilarating orchestral work and "Stepan Razin" is one of Shostakovich's masterpieces and is required in any decent Shostakovich collection. This is true, especially considering the strong performance by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony. Highly recommended.

52:22

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shostakovich would've been pleased if he were alive to listen to this CD, April 2, 2009

By 

Eric S. Kim (Southern California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin; October; Five Fragments (Audio CD)

Shostakovich may not be everyone's favorite Russian composer (he may not be in the likes of Stravinsky or Prokofiev), but I admire his music nonetheless. The Execution of Stepan Razin and October are only two examples of his musical intelligence. Execution of Stepan Razin is a 25+ minute choral cantata that tells of the last day of the famous Cossack leader that led a rebellion against the Tsar's political views. The music signifies the execution and the effect of the man's death, which is pretty intense and haunting. Complete with chorus, bass-baritone, and orchestra, this piece is one of Shostakovich's masterpieces that is sadly rarely recorded (only a total of four recordings, including this one). But I guess it's an advantage, since if it becomes over-recorded, then it becomes a highly overrated classical piece like Beethoven's 5th or Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Nevertheless, Execution of Stepan Razin should be heard by every Shostakovich admirer. The orchestral/choral passion alone is worth every second.

The 13-minute October was created during the 50th Anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution. Whether the composer was against communism or not, this piece really compels. I'm especially amazed at the sheer craft of the orchestration (even if it may not be very original). The brass and percussion are the true stars here. The loud glorious ending may be a bit unusual due to the nature of the rest of the piece, otherwise this piece is one that pleases.

Even though it sounds decent enough, the Five Fragments for Orchestra are just "rough drafts" of later more mature works, so I have no interest with this one.

Gerard Schwarz makes a stunning achievement with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Symphony Chorale. Everything is close to perfect: no musical mistakes, no overblowing, no smoothing of tension, no tedious moments whatsoever. The orchestra may not have that authentic Russian feel that The Russian State Symphony Orchestra conveys, but Seattle no doubt plays all three pieces with power and precision. Audio Quality from Naxos still amazes me. It's almost puzzling how a low budget label is able to give us quality that's equal to Telarc and Chandos.

Grade: A- (only because of the Five Fragments)