Customer Reviews

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 / Stravinsky: Rite of Spring

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel made all too few recordings for Telarc, a Cleveland based company which offered sonics far superior to the orchestra's other American label, CBS. The repertoire tended toward orchestral showpieces, doubtless intended to show off the then-new digital recording technology.

Perhaps because Maazel never recorded a complete symphony cycle, this performance of Shostakovich's 5th symphony is not listed in music guides as a "reference" recording for the work. It should be. For me, this performance contains many of the best aspects of Stokowski's, Haitink's, and Bernstein's approaches, with spectacular orchestra playing and far superior sound. Personally, this is my favorite Shostakovich 5th, particularly for the searing third movement.

I initially heard this recording of The Rite of Spring on an LP. The dynamics were not compressed and some of the louder passages literally bounced the needle out of the groove. Maazel doesn't tamper with the orchestration here, but his tempos are all over the map, with rubatos and ritardandos liberally applied (which is poles apart from Stravinsky's intentions). The thought of a ballet troupe having to dance to this interpretation boggles the mind. The beginning of the Glorification of the Chosen One is played at approximately HALF the tempo indicated in the score. This is certainly an exciting performance, but because of Maazel's eccentricities, I cannot recommend it as a reference version.

Spectacular as the sound is here, Telarc has reissued these recordings (with different couplings) on SACD Hybrid discs.

This must be the wildest performance of The Rite of Spring ever committed on disc. The orchestra revels in orgy of sound and uncontrolled explosion throughout. Maazel takes much freedom of tempi, as he always does, and sometimes completely ignores composer's markings, but I love his relentlessly violent interpretation. The sound quality is just as astonishing - it is as if the orchestra is playing in your room.

Shostakovich's 5th is also at the mercy of the conductor's idiosyncrasies, but the first movement is one of the most terrifyingly atmospheric renditions I've come across and the slow movement is very poignant. If the last movement had the matching weight and power of the first, I would rate this alongside Bernstein's devastating account.

I don't know the details, but Maazel's tenure in Cleveland was artistically dispiriting -- to be fair, no one could have followed George Szell without unfavorable comparison. Few truly outstanding recordings emerged, but this Le Sacre from 1980 comes close. As an interpretation, it stays confidently in the middle of the road, but Telarc's two-microphone recording technique, folowed by no processing of the sound either by cimpression or equalizaiton, gives us a true picture of exactly what the microphones heard.

True fidelity means that the brass section isn't always as powerful as in modern multi-mike recordings, and the strings are swamped in loud tuttis, yet the timbre, acoustic, and balance are realistic. Needless to say, the Clevelanders also perform with technical virtuosity few orchestras can match.

The Shostakovich, unfortunately, is more like what one came to expecct from Maazel, an uninvolved, superficial reading whose purpose can only be to convey his indifference. There isn't the slightest tenion in the first movement, satire in the second, or tragic elegy in the third. Only an energetic finale somewhat redeems this recording, albeit the sonics are once again sterling. Since this CD costs so little on the used market, you can buy it with confidence that your audio system will get a workout. Otherwise, there are many Le Sacres and Rites of Spring that offer more musical rewards.

P.S. _ I see that there is now a hybrid SACD of the Stravinsky, which is probably even better sonically.

This is one of the best ever of Le Sacre. Maazel did a few strange tempo variations that he always did as a signature, but the sound and ensemble quality is the best I've ever heard. Also, Telarc was fantastic in using 2 high quality microphones placed behind the podium, (about 10 feet) and left the dynamics up to Maazel and the orchestra. A complete honest recording that is stunning. This has a warmth with organic analog quality but the addition of the extended range of dynamics in digital recording.

The Shostakovich 5 is also wonderful.

These recordings captured the Cleveland Orchestra at it's prime, still maintaining their tight sense of ensemble and style from the Szell years.

I highly recomend this!!!