BaL 11.10.14 - Shostakovich: Symphony no. 10 in E minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930 Building a Library on Shostakovich's 10th Symphony in E minor. Stephen Johnson considers the available recordings of this powerful work of which Shostakovich said "I wrote it right after Stalin's death and no one has yet guessed what the symphony is about. It's about Stalin and the Stalin years."


Available versions:-


Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, David Afkham
Czech PO, Karel Ancerl (download)
Australian Youth Orchestra, Alexander Anissimov
RPO, Vladimir Ashkenazy
WDR Sinfonie-Orchester, Rudolf Barshai
WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Köln, Semyon Bychkov
Milano Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi, Oleg Caetani
Helsinki PO, James DePriest
Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
LPO, Bernard Haitink
Saarbrucken Radio SO, Günther Herbig
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi [Bal Choice 2000]
Cincinnati SO, Paavo Järvi
BPO, Herbert von Karajan (2 versions)
Köln Gürzenich Orchester, Dmitri Kitaenko (DVD)
Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Romau Kofman
Moscow Philharmonic SO, Kyrill Kondrashin
Leipzig Gewandhause Orchestra, Franz Konwitschny
Philharmonia Orchestra, Efrem Kurtz
Atlanta SO, Yoel Levi
Dallas SO, Andrew Litton
Leningrad PO, Evgeny Mravinsky
Royal Liverpool PO, Vasily Petrenko
Russian State SO, Valeri Polyansky (download)
BRT National Orchestra Brussels, Alexander Rahbari
Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
LSO, Mstislav Rostropovich
USSR State TV & Radio SO, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
BPO, Kurt Sanderling
RPO, Frank Shipway
LSO, Maxim Shostakovich
Prague SO, Maxim Shostakovich
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Hallé Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Slovak PO, Ladislav Slovak (download)
Prague SO, Vaclav Smetáček
USSR State SO, Evgeny Svetlanov [2(+) versions]
Verbier Festival Orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov (DVD)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Mark Wigglesworth

Piano 4 hands:

Alexander Zelyakov, Folke Grasbeck

[Bryn]

What, no Kondrashin?

[Alison]

Petrenko wins.

[EdgeleyRob]

Halle,Skrowaczewski, doesn't win but is underrated.

[Alison]

Wigglesworth a lively outsider.

Rattle a bitter disappointment.

[pastoralguy]

Wigglesworth a lively outsider.

Rattle a bitter disappointment.

For me, it's still Jarvi and the (R)SNO. I remember the concert that preceded the recording and it was shattering.

[EdgeleyRob]

Wigglesworth a lively outsider.

Rattle a bitter disappointment.

Karajan BPO (1967) - Burlington Bertie
Rostropvich LSO - Double Carpet

[Petrushka]

I see that USSR State Symphony Orchestra/Svetlanov is on EA's list. I wish this was the Melodiya recording that appeared on an EMI LP as ASD2420. I've been wanting a CD issue for years but it never appears. I bought that LP in the week that Shostakovich died in 1975. It is, of course, the famous, some would say infamous, 1968 Prom that is available.

Incidentally, there are two LPO/Haitink recordings available: the Decca recording and the live 1986 Prom performance on the LPO label. The latter is a very serious contender in a crowded field. There are also three BPO/Karajan recordings out there.

[Tapiola]

In the absence of Svetlanov/USSR (Melodiya) I will go for the Roz/USSR (Brilliant Classics). Nothing like them. (Kondrashin is pale in comparison, imo)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

What, no Kondrashin?

I don't think it's generally available in the UK at present, but you may find evidence to the contrary...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There are also three BPO/Karajan recordings out there.

Yes - one of them a Live performance in Moscow, ending with audience applause - including that of the composer.

Mravinsky, Karajan, Barshai, Kondrashin and Haitink already in my collection - oh, yes, and the serious disappointment that is Rattle and the CBSO. It would have to really impress me to get me to part with my pennies for another version.

[Tapiola]

Yes - one of them a Live performance in Moscow, ending with audience applause - including that of the composer.

Mravinsky, Karajan, Barshai, Kondrashin and Haitink already in my collection - oh, yes, and the serious disappointment that is Rattle and the CBSO. It would have to really impress me to get me to part with my pennies for another version.

What's the Mrav like fhg? I don't know it at all. How would it compare with, say, the Barshai (which I do know)?

[Petrushka]

I don't think it's generally available in the UK at present, but you may find evidence to the contrary...

The complete symphonies box is available

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-Complete-Symphonies-Kondrashin/dp/B000IONEZG/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1412372398&sr=1-2&keywords=shostakovich+kondrashin

And the 10th alone is available as a download http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich...+10+kondrashin

I'd say this counted as 'available'.

[richardfinegold]

I have Karajan, Kitaenko (SACD, not DVDS as listed in the header), Mravisky, Ormandy/Philadelphia (not listed), and Barshai. The only bad one is the Kitaenko. The Mravinsky is very taut, but be prepared for audience noise.

[kea]

Piano 4 hands:

Alexander Zelyakov, Folke Grasbeck

And 2 pianos: Dmitri Shostakovich/Mieczysław Weinberg.