BaL 11.11.17 - Shostakovich: Symphony no. 11 (The Year 1905)

[Beef Oven!]

I have Petrenko, Barshai & Rozhdeestvensky/USSR Ministry of Culture State SO. Barshai is my fave.

I fancy adding Haitink's Decca RCO. I only have Haitink's DSCH 8, which I've had for donkey's years. Whenever I've added a Haitink recording to my collection, I've always been very pleased.

Edit: How nice it would be for Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to record this symphony.

Today would normally be the day to start this thread (the day when it first appeared on the Radio 3 web-page). I listened to the Haitink this morning - stunning; I don't really need another version.

I bought the Haitink last week and I would agree it's a stunning performance in glorious sound. But the Barshai keeps coming back to haunt me .............

[BBMmk2]

Beefy, Jansons is worth a look!

[Beef Oven!]

Beefy, Jansons is worth a look!

Yes, if his #4 is anything to go by

[BBMmk2]

Yes, if his #4 is anything to go by

I strongly advise. I have the whole cycle.

[Petrushka]

I have one or two of the Jansons DSCH recordings (not the 11th though) that appeared on EMI but wasn't greatly taken with them so never inclined to investigate further.

[Beef Oven!]

I have one or two of the Jansons DSCH recordings (not the 11th though) that appeared on EMI but wasn't greatly taken with them so never inclined to investigate further.

Petrushka, try and check out MJ's recording of #4 on EMI.

[Petrushka]

Petrushka, try and check out MJ's recording of #4 on EMI.

I do have that one but haven't played it in ages. I'll spin it again as soon as I can.

[Beef Oven!]

I do have that one but haven't played it in ages. I'll spin it again as soon as I can.

[HighlandDougie]

Having just listened to the Konstantin Ivanov performance (live; the usual bronchitic audience; very fast - I'm still not convinced by this work), I came across this - spoiler alert! aspects of it may feature next Saturday - which RFG may have read if he was at the CSO concert in question:

https://cso.org/uploadedFiles/1_Tickets_and_Events/Program_Notes/030410_ProgramNotes_Shostakovich_Sym11.pdf

[BBMmk2]

HD, have you heard Jansons or Barshai?

[HighlandDougie]

HD, have you heard Jansons or Barshai?

I have both (and Haitink, Rozhdestvensky, Kondrashin, Kitaenko etc etc) - I'll give the Jansons a spin in the hope that I am fully as opposed to partially converted. I heard it "live" 30 years ago - Järvi and the RSNO? - but have not really listened to it much in the intervening years.

[Petrushka]

I've just been listening again to the Leningrad PO and Mravinsky in a live 1967 Prague performance of the DSCH 11 and while it won't be winning any prizes for sound quality it is still perfectly acceptable. The performance though is absolutely blistering and I'd still take this as my library choice over all others. It was the Leningrad PO and Mravinsky who gave the first performance and what you have here is total Authenticity, the sound of each and every instrument exactly as the composer would have known.

McBurney will certainly know this performance and it will be interesting to see whether he chooses Western refinement and digital sound over the real deal.

[Bryn]

I've just been listening again to the Leningrad PO and Mravinsky in a live 1967 Prague performance of the DSCH 11 and while it won't be winning any prizes for sound quality it is still perfectly acceptable. The performance though is absolutely blistering and I'd still take this as my library choice over all others. It was the Leningrad PO and Mravinsky who gave the first performance and what you have here is total Authenticity, the sound of each and every instrument exactly as the composer would have known.

McBurney will certainly know this performance and it will be interesting to see whether he chooses Western refinement and digital sound over the real deal.

'Interesting' customer review of that recording here. I don't know it myself, and do not intend to pay the current £35 asking price from an amazon.co.uk marketplace supplier. I wonder what its true provenance is? Was the actual first performance conducted by Nathan Rakhlin, though not too successfully?

[Petrushka]

'Interesting' customer review of that recording here. I don't know it myself, and do not intend to pay the current £35 asking price from an amazon.co.uk marketplace supplier. I wonder what its true provenance is? Was the actual first performance conducted by Nathan Rakhlin, though not too successfully?

'Interesting' indeed. I'm aware of question marks over the provenance of some Praga issues and the only information given on the reverse is 'Czech Radio 1967' so who knows? It might be worthwhile buying the Regis issue against which I assume there are no question marks? It's still a blistering performance whatever its provenance.

[Bryn]

'Interesting' indeed. I'm aware of question marks over the provenance of some Praga issues and the only information given on the reverse is 'Czech Radio 1967' so who knows? It might be worthwhile buying the Regis issue against which I assume there are no question marks? It's still a blistering performance whatever its provenance.

I think the Regis is of the 1959 mono recording which I have in a Melodiya boxed set.