BaL 13.07.24 - Shostakovich: Symphony 5

[seabright]

I do think BAL is well past its sell-by date. As this forum shows, anyone interested in a work such as this, which has had numerous recordings over the years, is sure to have more than one in their "library" already and is unlikely to add yet another. In any case, if the reviewer was David Gutman and not Edward Seckerson, the top choice would have been Kurt Sanderling and the Berlin SO, as per his survey in the Gramophone in 2022 of far more recordings than were mentioned by ES. Much better to bring back "Interpretations on Record" so that we can hear a much bigger selection, starting with some historic recordings such as the first American one made in 1939 by Stokowski and his Philadelphians.

[LMcD]

Indeed, but far too few clips as far too few in the shortlist.
Rostropovich only mentioned wrt his LSO recording, not the earlier one with the National SO (which I think also got the composer's approval tempo-wise).

Is there an initial shortlist which is then whittled down to a final three? (As you will gather, I don't listen, but merely check up on the winner later).

[edashtav]

What bothers me in this and other reviews from Seckerson is that he spends so much time playing recordings he doesn't think are good. I relistened to Geoffrey Norris this morning and he played excerpts from a similar number of conductors. He had good things to say about most (not Rostropovich, who he played, but he used the example to explain what was happening at the start of the 2nd movement). He also mentioned several versions he didn't play and said why. Best of all, he left me with a list of five recordings I really wanted to listen to.

Yes, a poorly conceived and badly structured BaL. There seems to be room for a finely played, wisely interpreted, new version to complete with the faded sound of Soviet lions and the patchy American conductors.

[Lordgeous]

I do think BAL is well past its sell-by date. As this forum shows, anyone interested in a work such as this, which has had numerous recordings over the years, is sure to have more than one in their "library" already and is unlikely to add yet another. In any case, if the reviewer was David Gutman and not Edward Seckerson, the top choice would have been Kurt Sanderling and the Berlin SO, as per his survey in the Gramophone in 2022 of far more recordings than were mentioned by ES. Much better to bring back "Interpretations on Record" so that we can hear a much bigger selection, starting with some historic recordings such as the first American one made in 1939 by Stokowski and his Philadelphians.

I couldn't agree more.

[Retune]

I do think BAL is well past its sell-by date. As this forum shows, anyone interested in a work such as this, which has had numerous recordings over the years, is sure to have more than one in their "library" already and is unlikely to add yet another.

Be careful what you wish for. I expect Sam Jackson would be happy to replace the whole programme with a 5 minute excerpt from the recording with the most likes on that week's Twitter thread.

I see that the Kondrashin CD is long out of print, though you can download his entire cycle from Qobuz for £17.40 at the moment, a bargain compared to Amazon, iTunes or Presto. I wonder if that means less cash for the kleptocrats who reportedly control the Melodiya label these days, or do they get a flat rate from all resellers in the west?

The Bernstein interpretation sounded good, but from the limited excerpts played the Kondrashin had an extra level of excitement and I was fine with the sound quality.

[Pulcinella]

Is there an initial shortlist which is then whittled down to a final three? (As you will gather, I don't listen, but merely check up on the winner later).

Nigel (aka makropulos) might be able to tell us.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, a poorly conceived and badly structured BaL. There seems to be room for a finely played, wisely interpreted, new version to complete with the faded sound of Soviet lions and the patchy American conductors.

Your second sentence is exactly what I was thinking. There must be a post 2000 digital recording which isn’t full of compression and noise . Unless of course R3 are supplying that . I doubt is as the 70”s (?) Previn LSO sounded fine as does tonight’s Cosi relay .

[Pulcinella]

Edward's choice now added to original post, but I see it's the complete set!

Edward's choice:
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies
Melodiya RCID18056928

[ucanseetheend]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...OHBr7F9OPteiLB. And the complete cycle also on Youtube

[makropulos]

Nigel (aka makropulos) might be able to tell us.

Happy to do that: a few weeks before the programme, reviewers are asked for their initial choice of 15 recordings. Then that is brought down to a shortlist of 10 (or up to 10) recordings which are selected for use on the programme itself, whittled down to three towards the end, with one 'winner'. These numbers don't always work: for instance, when I did Jenufa and The Cunning Little Vixen there weren't 15 to choose from so sometimes things need to start from a smaller pool of recordings. On the other hand, when I did Scheherazade and Brahms 3 there were over a hundred of each... With the piece I'm working on at the moment for a programme in September it hasn't been difficult to come up with 15 good versions – harder trimming that down to 10, but I think I'm there now.

[Pulcinella]

Happy to do that: a few weeks before the programme, reviewers are asked for their initial choice of 15 recordings. Then that is brought down to a shortlist of 10 (or up to 10) recordings which are selected for use on the programme itself, whittled down to three towards the end, with one 'winner'. These numbers don't always work: for instance, when I did Jenufa and The Cunning Little Vixen there weren't 15 to choose from so sometimes things need to start from a smaller pool of recordings. On the other hand, when I did Scheherazade and Brahms 3 there were over a hundred of each... With the piece I'm working on at the moment for a programme in September it hasn't been difficult to come up with 15 good versions – harder trimming that down to 10, but I think I'm there now.

Many thanks for this response, in which you've answered another (unstated) question: BaL will be returning after the summer break.
What we don't know yet is whether or not the time slot is changing back to the morning.
Looking forward to hearing about your indispensable Janáček recordings before then.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Many thanks for this response, in which you've answered another (unstated) question: BaL will be returning after the summer break.
What we don't know yet is whether or not the time slot is changing back to the morning.
Looking forward to hearing about your indispensable Janáček recordings before then.

I would be surprised if it moves back as they usually give these things some time to bed in . If memory serves record review and bal had one of the highest audiences of the weekend. I wonder if was moved to pm to bolster poor Sat PM figures - sat afternoon was something of a ragbag wasn’t it? Thing is if the Tom Service sat am show has bombed the Controller might have to move BAL back as there’s a bigger available audience then and you need to have a good base to erode during the rest of the Radio day .
On the evidence of the forum comments hardly any one seems to be listening to it (TS that is ) . Sat breakfast does pretty well though . I can see a situation in which RR does go back . Wish I could get hold of the slot audience figures. I hope it returns to am - apart from anything else turning the tennis commentary down to listen to it spoils the tennis.

[LMcD]

Happy to do that: a few weeks before the programme, reviewers are asked for their initial choice of 15 recordings. Then that is brought down to a shortlist of 10 (or up to 10) recordings which are selected for use on the programme itself, whittled down to three towards the end, with one 'winner'. These numbers don't always work: for instance, when I did Jenufa and The Cunning Little Vixen there weren't 15 to choose from so sometimes things need to start from a smaller pool of recordings. On the other hand, when I did Scheherazade and Brahms 3 there were over a hundred of each... With the piece I'm working on at the moment for a programme in September it hasn't been difficult to come up with 15 good versions – harder trimming that down to 10, but I think I'm there now.

Thank you!

[ucanseetheend]

Let's hope the Saturday Schedule Jackson butchery is a disaster and can go back to 2 hours 45 mins morning of Record Review

[Ein Heldenleben]

Let's hope the Saturday Schedule Jackson butchery is a disaster and can go back to 2 hours 45 mins morning of Record Review

Although it won’t appeal to every one I have to say that Clive Myrie’s Music Matters interview with war photographer Paul Conroy was one of the best bits of interview radio I’ve heard in a long time. Some hair raising stories from a very brave and intelligent man . Not everything the new controller has done is a disaster.