BaL 20.02.16 - Shostakovich: Symphony no. 9

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
David Nice recommends a version of Shostakovich's 9th Symphony. This powerful work was described in the composer's own words: "If the Seventh and the Eighth symphonies bore a tragic-heroic character, then in the Ninth a transparent, pellucid, and bright mood predominates."

Available versions:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
WDR Sinfonieorchester, Rudolf Barshai
Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Andrey Boreyko
Orchestra G Verdi, Oleg Caetani
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannes Fritzsch
Kirov Orchestra, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev
Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (DVD/Blu-ray)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Neeme Järvi (DVD/Blu-ray)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Cologne Gurzenich Orchestra , Dmitri Kitaenko
Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Otto Klemperer (download)
Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Roman Kofman
Czech Philharmonic, Zdenek Kosler
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky
Russian National Orchestra, Yakov Kreizberg
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,, Rafael Kubelik
New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Efrem Kurtz (download)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Eduardo Mata
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Valeri Polyansky (download)
Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Rahbari (download)
National Symphony Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz (download)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ladislav Slovak
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti (DVD)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti
St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Titov
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Walter Weller
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Mark Wigglesworth


Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert (piano duo)

[Bryn]

Surprised the LSO/Sargent (Everest) recording has fallen out of the catalogue. It can still be found "new", however.

[rauschwerk]

I remember the Sargent recording well. The Scherzo is much too slow.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Surprised the LSO/Sargent (Everest) recording has fallen out of the catalogue. It can still be found "new", however.

It's also available as a download, so I've added it to the list.

[verismissimo]

That's good. Sargent was my first in this symphony.

The favourite among my little crop is Rozhdestvensky with the USSR Ministry of Culture Orchestra from 1989. Marginally available - so your call, Alpie.

This symphony is blessed relief after the rigours of 7 and 8!

[Petrushka]

This symphony is blessed relief after the rigours of 7 and 8!

Well, yes, sort of! I think that Shostakovich took greater risks with this apparently light-hearted symphony than with any other and it's as well to bear this in mind when listening. In 1945 the Soviet Union had just triumphed over Nazi Germany and a great hymn to Generalissimo Stalin complete with massed choirs might have been expected from the nation's leading composer. Instead - and in his Ninth Symphony of all things - he writes a piece of comedy music! It looks very much like a deliberate insult to Stalin and I've no doubt that it is. This could have had very serious consequences for Shostakovich.

Having said all that, I'd go for Rozhdestvensky as well. He understands...

[jayne lee wilson]

You missed out my friend KK, EA....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A229816%2Ck%3Akondrashin+shostakovich&keywords=kondrashin+shostakovich&ie=UTF8&qid=1455317060

sounds remarkably(***) vivid in that last Melodiya remaster (2007 boxset). Bit dear now, but at least it's cheaper than Aulis...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-Symphonies-Kirill-Kondrashin-Set/dp/B00094H7KS/ref=sr_1_36?s=music&ie=UT

(***)Just tried the opening... did I say "remarkably"? Heavens, sounds like it was recorded yesterday! Perfect tonal balance, stunningly precise 3D soundstage. And as for musically, well... it's THE DSCH-ORACLE. Deeply Russian, deeply true.
Every time I go back to it I feel, there's no need for any other. Bit unusual for me...

[mahlerei]

May I fly the flag for Mark Wugglesworth? There's a clarity, a lack of fuss, to his DSCH that I like very much, and his Ninth is no exception. He makes an excellent case for the coupling - the 12th. First-class recordings as well. Kondrashin probably my go-to version though; the HDTT transfer of the Ninth and Stepan Razin is exceptionally vivid and exciting. Have a soft spot for Uncle Berne'a LPO Ninth, too. With all these fine versions it will be very interesting to see which one DN chooses...

[richardfinegold]

Surprised the LSO/Sargent (Everest) recording has fallen out of the catalogue. It can still be found "new", however.

I have it on DVD-A, which means that it probably is available as a High Res download

[richardfinegold]

I love the Bernstein recording, which was paired with 6, a natural disc mate

[Pabmusic]

This seems to be still available:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-Symphony-No-6-Op-54/dp/B001885C2O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455350120&sr=8-2&keywords=shostakovich+boult

[BBMmk2]

May I fly the flag for Mark Wugglesworth? There's a clarity, a lack of fuss, to his DSCH that I like very much, and his Ninth is no exception. He makes an excellent case for the coupling - the 12th. First-class recordings as well. Kondrashin probably my go-to version though; the HDTT transfer of the Ninth and Stepan Razin is exceptionally vivid and exciting. Have a soft spot for Uncle Berne'a LPO Ninth, too. With all these fine versions it will be very interesting to see which one DN chooses...

MW, was a couple of years below me at school! So I have a soft spot for him.

[Barbirollians]

I am fond of both of Lenny's versions .I should also put in a word for the recent Petrenko and the Jarvi on Chandos - His Shostakovich recordings with the RSNO strike me as some of the very best of his on record .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

MW, was a couple of years below me at school! So I have a soft spot for him.

That's almost as good as Pavarotti and Freni being at school together.

[HighlandDougie]

That's almost as good as Pavarotti and Freni being at school together.

Where's the emoticon for made me burst out laughing? The mind boggles!