Customer Reviews

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13

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Though there are many excellent recordings of the Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 'Babi Yar' available, this new recording by Mariss Jansons is the crowning achievement. Jansons is nearing completion of the entire Shostakovich cycle and this installment is by far the finest in a fine set. Though some may find this symphony episodic (it has been compared to Mahler's 'Das Lied von der Erde' as a symphonic song cycle1), Jansons makes the work intelligently cohesive. He finds the essence of each of the five movements and weaves the similarities of orchestration and poetry tightly. His vision is at one with Shostakovich and Yevtushenko.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony (Jansons is the Music Director of this orchestra) plays with complete command of the obstacles. The first desk playing is top notch and the 'sound' is as Russian as is needed for the success of the work. Jansons wisely selected Russian opera star Sergei Aleksashkin as soloist: his vocal quality is rich and dark and completely right for these Yevtushenko poems. His range of emotion is stunning. And completing the overall sound is the very fine Men's chorus from the Bavarian Radio Chorus. The Sonics are superb.

Hands down this is the recording of choice for this extraordinary symphony. It should receive the Grammy for Orchestral Recording! Very Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

While my collection of Shostakovich is not small, I'm can't compare this performance with others of the Babi Yar Symphony. However, I can say that this performance by Jansons possesses immense powerful and drive. The soloist sounds "so" Russian (which he is), the choral singing is tense and biting, and the orchestral sound is dark, harrrowing, clear, and reeling, exactly as it ought to be in a Shostakovich symphony. Very highly recommended.