Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot [Import]

Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Mariss Jansons (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra), Philadelphia Orchestra [members of] (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra [members of]
• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
• Audio CD (July 8, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002RW1
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,110 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Electrifying, February 4, 2007

By 

A. Yen "cellist" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot (Audio CD)

Forget Superman at Six Flags. Get your thrills and chills with Shostakovich, Jansons, and the Philadelphia Orchestra today!

My general problem with most recordings of the 11th Symphony fall into two categories: sound quality and tempo. I feel extremely short-changed if people rush through this work, especially at the most transcendental moments such as the cor anglais solo in the last movement. Shostakovich? Transcendental? Well, maybe not in the spiritual sense, but the despairing wail of the solo cor anglais rises far above the melee and mayhem of the previous 55 minutes or so--utterly heartbreaking on this recording. The other issue is mostly a problem with the LSO Live engineers, who I think don't quite understand how an orchestra should sound.

Jansons has no such problems with either, although my last pet peeve, the short last note and quiet chimes, does happen in this recording, but the whole rest of it makes up for those, I think.

Not just "merely adequate," Jansons goes far above these bare minimum requirements. The brass are terrifying, the strings electric, and the solo cor anglais, as mentioned above, will make you weep, if you're in the right (wrong?) mood. The percussion have good presence most of the time, excepting the last moments in the chimes.

The biggest shock in this recording came when Jansons nearly doubles the tempo at the percussion solo in the 9 Jan. movement. This actually sounded pretty fair to me after my initial shock: sounded like real gunfire, almost. Whatever the case, I don't mind it at all.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece Recording!, November 22, 2005

By 

Frederico G. (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot (Audio CD)

Mariss Jansons takes the listener back in time to that bloody Sunday in 1905 in St. Petersburg!

The contrasting moods between movements and the energy are vividly present in this recording.

A reference recording for anyone wanting to get to know this amazing work. I highly recomend it.

I have listened to many recordings of the 11th, but none come anywhere close to this one! Truly a masterpiece CD!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, and NOT JUST for the symphony, September 26, 2006

By 

S. J. Snyder "De gustibus non disputandum" (Various, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "1905"; Jazz Suite No. 1; Waltz; Tahiti Trot (Audio CD)

I'm not going to try to add anything to the other reviewers on that score.

But the "filler" is also very good. If you're not familiar with this more playful side of Shostakovich, hear him kick up his heels in the Jazz Suite No. 1. Then hear a haunting waltz from Jazz Suite No. 2, something that sounds like it would have played well just before "the lights went out" in August 1914.