Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 [Live]

Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Mariss Jansons (Conductor), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
• Audio CD (October 23, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00005O83L
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,559 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A dream come true., December 12, 2001

By 

Andrea G. Pessino (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 (Audio CD)

I am a fanatical admirer of Shostakovich's, whom I consider the greatest composer of the 20th century, and amidst the Great Master's large production the 8th symphony towers as the supreme manifestation of his stunning genius.

It is a work of incredible depth, intensity and emotional charge, a miracle of structural and developmental virtuosism and, most remarkably, a piece in which the composer's unique inspiration and musical personality are in unrestrained display, in defiance of critics and censors. This music connects emotionally in ways which transcend academic analysis; it goes straight to the listener's heart and holds it in a tight grip for the duration of the voyage.

Listening to this piece is like opening a window into a world of horror and tragedy. If it were possible to compile a "music-to-English" dictionary then the 8th symphony's translation would be just one word: pain. Pain of the human race as well as the deep pain which only great artists dare to contemplate.

I must admit I have become a little obsessed with Shostakovich's music, and the 8th symphony in particular. I have spent many, many hours studying its score, and I own nearly every recording of it ever made, from the great (Mravinsky/Leningrad, Litton/Dallas) to the adequate (Previn/London, Rostropovich/NSO, etc.) to the abysmal (Inbal/Wiener).

I purchased this recording because, as stated, I simply had to have it, but I didn't hold much expectation given that I knew very little of the orchestra or the conductor, Mariss Jansons. From the first listening session I was stunned. This is, in my opinion, the single greatest rendition of this masterpiece EVER put on a recording medium.

The playing of the orchestra is superb, the recording is exceptionally vivid and clear, but the real standout is the conducting. Jansons understands the material like no other performer ever has. (...) in my mind this performance far surpasses even Mravinsky's, if not for anything else simply because of the sheer energy that Jansons draws from the orchestra.

This is a work which requires passion, strength and the ability to push the players to their absolute maximum without losing control or relaxing the emotional fabric of the music. There are moments in the symphony where it seems incredibly difficult NOT to give in to the temptation of accelerating the tempo, thereby thinning the texture and the sense of anticipation inherent in the writing. Jansons never relents, and as a result every arch in the languid string lines carries tremendous emotional energy. Take the 4th movement (Largo), with its tragic, passionate "lamentoso," where Jansons has the wonderful PSO strings shimmering above the dark, repetitive motion of the cellos and basses. It just does not get much better than this.

There is a moment (rehearsal mark 86) in the third movement when the deep brass and low winds pick up the ostinato figure previously introduced by the violas which, in my opinion, is a perfect example of what makes this performance so outstanding. Jansons opens the movement with awesome power and relentless determination, and he dares the orchestra to sustain it all the way to its apocalyptic climax. At mark 86 the deep brass have to play fast, "marcatissimo" in their low register, a tremendously difficult task to accomplish with some clarity. In most performances conductors either slow down a bit, or they allow the brass to "lose it" to some extent, resulting in a muddy, unfocused sound and a definite loss of momentum. Jansons does not slow down, and the brass players demonstrate their virtuosism by delivering a precise and energetic performance. If their entrance does not get your blood rushing, you are probably dead.

If the performance itself weren't enough the CD comes with an unexpected bonus: a selection of moments from Jansons' rehearsals with the orchestra. The CD is worth owning for this alone. Listening to the Maestro talk to the players is easy to understand how his enthusiasm and musicality can be contagious. Listening to this track will make you appreciate the music even more, and possibly it will encourage you to learn about its great composer.

Overall, this Jansons/PSO performance of Shostakovich's 8th is nothing short of extraordinary. It is easily my pick for Recording of the Year for 2001. Do yourself a favor and purchase a copy for yourself. You will not be sorry.

A big "Thank you!" to Maestro Jansons and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for delivering such a stunning rendition of Shostakovich's beloved masterpiece; your artistry and talent did not go unnoticed here!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jansons' Interpretation Thoroughly Successful, November 29, 2001

By 

Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 (Audio CD)

The Shostakovich camp is deeply divided. There are those who view the composer as an artist deeply at odds with his government; whose public statements about his own works were merely the necessary evil which allowed him to continue to compose, but whose musical statements reveal the true horror of the Stalin regime. This viewpoint is supported by the book Testimony, the supposed "Memoir" of the composer, in which, for example, the ending of the fifth symphony is revealed not as triumphant, but as tragic. The opposing camp sees Shostakovich as a true Soviet artist, one who occasionally ran afoul of the censors, but who readily understood their views and accommodated himself willingly to them. They point to Testimony and claim it is the fraudulent work of its "editor" Solomon Volkov. The differences between these two viewpoints is not only political, but musical. The political debate, in fact, is in a sense moot, since Shostakovich and Stalin are no longer with us, and nor, for that matter, is the Soviet Union. What remains is the question of musical interpretation. Most problematic of his pieces are the Fifth and Eighth Symphonies, in which Shostakovich's public statements at the time are so at odds with what the music seems to express. These are tremendously important pieces that cannot be ignored by symphonic musicians today--the problem of interpretation must be addressed.

Of his eighth symphony, Shostakovich said publicly that " It reflects my thoughts , feelings and elevated creative mood, which could not help being influenced by the joyful news of the Red Army's victories. My new work is an attempt to look into the future, to the post-war era...on the whole it is an optimistic, life-asserting work..." That passage from the first movement of his Eighth symphony surely does not seem life-asserting at all, and even though there are occasional moments of light in the piece, the whole seems to most listeners quite a dark and despairing piece. Certainly, in this performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons, the interpretation is convincingly based in this dark world, in which public words are spectres irrelevant to life. Jansons is himself intimately connected to the piece--he is from the Soviet Union, and was mentored by Yevgeny Mravinky, the conductor to whom Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony is dedicated. His interpretation, then, speaks with the force of moral authority and historic authenticity. Even the scherzo of this symphony is no joke, but begins and ends with a vision of relentless pursiut, punctuated by screams and violent blows.

Jansons brings out the best of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. This is a live performance, and with a work this difficult and lengthy there are the rare but forgivable imperfections--the beginning of a trumpet note is not as stable as it should be, or a crescendo doesn't quite come to full fruition. But the tempos seem just right, intonation is admirable and the orchestra plays with full tone and precision. There are those who say that only a Russian orchestra can do justice to Shostakovich's music, but Pittsburgh proves them wrong.

The CD has an interesting extra--extracts from a rehearsal, with commentary by the conductor. His remarks are primarily programmatic--he relates the music to statements against the dictatorship not only of Hitler, but also of Stalin, for example. Those who have never played in an orchestra may find this one of the highlights of the disc. Certainly Jansons' grotesque singing, as he guides the orchestra in understanding his interpretation, is astonishing.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A short addition to the previous stellar reviews......, November 28, 2001

By 

Timothy Mikolay (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 (Audio CD)

The merits of this work and its readings have been lauded for decades and although the recording industry has produced some stunning colaborations on disc of this symphony, orchestras we don't hear from that much can make other ensembles' work take a back seat.

I watched Jansons conduct the Oslo Philharmonic at Westminster College in Pennsylvania and quickly discovered a well known conducting but unknown orchestral tour de force. The Oslo Philharmonic?? Who are they?

As with the Pittsburgh Symphony, an ensemble without the fame and glamour of it's rival in Philadelphia, but definitely in the same class as the Oslo, Pittsburgh's Shostakovich 8th far surpasses Philly's Shosty 10th with the same conductor.

For some reason, Jansons is different here and better here than he was with the 10th. This 8th Symphony is gutsy, fearful and chock full of interpretive surprises. Additionally, the recorded sound, thanks to John Fraser and Arne Akselberg, is first class.

Pittsburgh could have done away with half of Maazel's overblown discs of the 90's if it meant a recording like this could be made and Jansons has masterfully created a recording the Pittsburgh audience and Shostakovich fans can readily appreciate. One can only wonder how this orchestra sustained such musical prowess after making its first CD in four years. An extraordinary achievement!
Applause!! Applause!!!