Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13- Babi Yar

Sergei Leiferkus (Artist), Dmitri Shostakovich (Composer), Kurt Masur (Conductor), New York Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Performer), New York Choral Artists (Men of) (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Yevgeny Yevtushenko, New York Choral Artists (Men of)
• Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Kurt Masur
• Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
• Audio CD (May 3, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Teldec
• ASIN: B000000SJ6
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,676 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Babi Yar (Recitation)

2. Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Babi Yar: Adagio

3. Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Humor: Allegreto

4. Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': In The Store: Adagio

5. Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Fears: Largo

6. Symphony No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 113 'Babi Yar': Career: Allegretto

7. The Loss (Recitation)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a musical monument, August 22, 2003

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13- Babi Yar (Audio CD)

Beginning and ending with recitations by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, this CD is a powerful, emotional experience. Shostakovich's Symphony # 13, written after Stalin's death, with hopes of a better future and mourning the past, is a musical monument to the horrific mass execution at Babi Yar, and an expression against the anti-Semitism that continued in the U.S.S.R.
After much controversy over his poem, "Babi Yar", Yevtushenko was forced to change some central lines in it in order for the composition to be performed. All but ignored in its 1962 Moscow premiere, this magnificent symphony has now earned it's rightful place as one of Shostakovich's best pieces.

The five movements incorporate four additional Yevtushenko poems:
First movement: "Babi Yar", is a massive, adagio, with blazing trumpets and heavy drum beats. Second movement: "Humor", is a sprightly and playfull allegretto. Third movement: "In the Store", a beautiful, sad adagio, with a marvelous ending full of tension that segues into the fouth movement, "Fears", which is a largo of intense drama. The final allegretto, "Career", has wonderful, melodic passages, and the end is peaceful, with the last notes a barely audible pianissimo.
Track # 7 is Yevtushenko reciting "The Loss"; it was the first public hearing of this poem, and he reads it in English.

Bass Sergei Leiferkus, along with the Men of the New York Choral Artists, are outstanding, and Kurt Masur leads the New York Philharmonic in a magnificent performance.
Recorded live at Avery Fisher Hall in 1993, the sound is excellent, and total time 67:15. The insert booklet has extensive liner notes, and complete text of the poems in English, transliterated Russian, German and French.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Recording Of Shostakovich's 13th Symphony, December 7, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13- Babi Yar (Audio CD)

This is an emotionally stirring, riveting performance of Shostakovich's 13th Symphony. One which Teldec's engineers have splendidly captured live at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. It begins promisingly enough with Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko's recitation of the prologue to his poem "Babi Yar", which is soon followed by the opening notes of Shostakovich's symphonic tribute to Yevtushenko's poem. Masur leads the New York Philharmonic in one of their finest performances ever recorded; most noteworthy are the vibrant, warm tones produced by the string, wind and brass sections.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic recording, a moving piece, March 17, 2001

By 

W. Jones "Will Jones" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13- Babi Yar (Audio CD)

This recording is the first choice on my "desert island" list. The orchestra simply plays magnificantly. Only the NYP has the rich sound to express the gravity of the first movement. The flute playing at the start of the last movement is unearthly, offering such a relief to the heaviness of the previous four; I'll listen to the first 4 movements just to get to this one and be lifted beyond every day human experience.