Customer Reviews

Shostakovich:Syms. 06 & 12-Year 1917

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

 

 

These concert radio broadcasts of Mravinsky's Shostakovich Symphonies 6 and 12 are vital, searing, dramatic readings in good sound for their period. The 6th Symphony was recorded in 1955 and the 12th in 1962. Even though there are a few audience coughs the sound is fine on both -- clear and lifelife although somewhat restricted and light in the bass. You can make up for this with your stereo controls. Readers seeking audiophile recordings should look elsewhere, however.

This conductor is, of course, the most significant Shostakovich conductor in history, having had a personal relationship with the composer and having premiered many of his symphonies. The typical Mravinsky work is on display here -- speeds that tend to be a little faster than others, a complete lack of morbidity or pathos, and a complete understanding of the message of the composer in these two works.

I don't think there's much question this is the best reading of the 12th Symphony available today. Most conductors read the score and fail to grip the essential Soviet-ness of the music. Mravinsky was a good comrade and understood the message of the "Lenin" symphony and its commemoration of the 1917 revolution. Simply put, Mravinsky gets more out of this music than Haitink, Barshai and other conductors in music that has not had many good recordings.

While this recording may not be available in USA it is available in Britain and can be had via Internet order through Amazon.com.UK I waited quite a while for mine but it is worth it for landmark recordings of two significant Shostakovich symphonies by his greatest interpreter.

From a previous review:

"These concert radio broadcasts of Mravinsky's Shostakovich Symphonies 6 and 12 are vital, searing, dramatic readings in good sound for their period. The 6th Symphony was recorded in 1955 and the 12th in 1962."

All true - except the "radio broadcast" part. The 6th *was* live, but from Moscow 1972; the 12th a 1961 studio recording, also from Moscow and with a few audience noises added to it.

It's still Mravinsky, and it's more likely that Czech Radio (or an individual there) duped "Le Chant du Monde" (licensing recordings they had no right to license) than the French label the customer, but it's curious, to say the least.

Still riveting performances to be had, though inferior in sound (but not as bad as a DSCH 5th from the same label, same conductor, and equally misattributed.

[...]

Only JF Laurson is right: these are indeed great performances, but the dates are fakes, and the added audience noises in the 12th are fake. It means also that these recordings are NOT rare, and don't call for the cut-throat prices that some internet sellers are trying to obtain for them: you can find the same, with the real dates, on various Melodiya or other releases:

The same 6th is on Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 6, 10 - Yevgeny Mravinsky. Volume 9 (CD), Mravinsky Edition 9, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 / Symphony No. 6 [The Mravinsky Collection], and on a clever Scribendum 3-CD set with other Mravinsky recordings from the same year, Mravinsky - Works by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Brahms, Shostakovich, Beethoven (3 CD Set).

The 12th is on Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 11, 12, 15 - Yevgeny Mravinsky. Volume 10 (2 Cds), on an early Japanese Melodiya for once listed here, Shostakovich Symphony No. 12 in D Minor Op. 112, and on a 1989 Urania release fakely claimed to be the recording of the world premiere performance, Mravinsky conducts Shostakovich Symphony No 12; Mussorgsky Dawn on the Moscow River; Glinka Russlan & Ludmila Overture [Original recording remastered]. Fraudsters fraudsters fraudsters.

Anyway, bottom line: check on all those for the best price, don't let yourself be ripped off by the fraudsters and the internet vultures.

For a more complete survey of Mravinsky's Shostakovich discography and references to alternative recordings by him, see my review of Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15; Song of the Forests (Box Set) [Box set]. My discographic information is based on Kenzo Amoh's invaluable Mravinsky discography (unfortunately not updated since 1999), available online.

Get the Mravinsky performance from Oct 1961: World Premiere, live, with DSCH attending. The most visceral performance on record, with all the sweep and drama of a great film score -- which is about the best one can expect from a symphony Shostakovich really didn't want to compose.

The recording was once available on Urania US 5162-CD stereo.