Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 / The Age of Gold: Polka / Suite from the Film Michurin, Op. 78

Dmitri Shostakovich (Composer), Maxim Shostakovich (Conductor), USSR Symphony (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: USSR Symphony
• Conductor: Maxim Shostakovich
• Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
• Audio CD (March 26, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA/Melodiya
• ASIN: B000003ETD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,691 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Moderato; Allegro; Moderato

2. Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegretto

3. Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegro

4. Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 47: Allegra non troppo; Allegro

5. The Age Of Gold, Op. 22: Polka

6. Suite From The Film 'Michurin', Op. 78: Overture

7. Suite From The Film 'Michurin', Op. 78: The Garden In Winter

8. Suite From The Film 'Michurin', Op. 78: Recollection

9. Suite From The Film 'Michurin', Op. 78: Michurin's Monologue

10. Suite From The Film 'Michurin', Op. 78: Finale

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting alternative to the well-knowns, June 22, 2006

By 

Joshua Saulle (Yonkers, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 / The Age of Gold: Polka / Suite from the Film Michurin, Op. 78 (Audio CD)

Maybe it's because this was the first performance of the Fifth Symphony I ever heard, but this has always been my favorite recording of it. Conducted by the composer's son, this performance takes a more unified interpretation than I've heard in other recordings. That is, it views the music more as a continuous organic stream. Shifts in tempo and mood are more subtle than in some other recordings - this has the effect of downplaying the 'grotesque' element which is so often ascribed to Shostakovich's music. The overall tempos of each movement, also, seem to me to be more appropriate; slow tempos are never allowed to drag, fast tempos never accelerate to the point of ridiculousness. While some would say that this is a less imaginative approach, and that the grotesque and black humor elements are signatures of Shostakovich's style, I also think in this case Maxim's interpretation allows the music to become more purely musical - less a commentary on artistic politics, Soviet life or culture, or any of the various other extramusical programs that customarily are attached to this piece - and more simply a wonderful and timeless symphonic statement. And the popularity of Shostakovich's music even among people who never experienced the Soviet regime attests to the universal humanity and inherent musical value of his work.

2 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A virtuoso performance - Absolutely pre-orgasmic!, October 24, 1999

By 

Mr. Lu, Kang ([e-mail]) (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 / The Age of Gold: Polka / Suite from the Film Michurin, Op. 78 (Audio CD)

Maxim did an exelent job of interpreting his father.

...Though they could've left out "The Age of Gold".