Shostakovich Symphonies

[Bryn]

It's the link, on that page, to "Discovering Music" that is broken, A2. However, I note that Gerard McBurney provided the programme notes for the re-issue of the Hallé Orchestra/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski recordings of the 5th symphony (Fanning provided those for the 10th, I think). I can't find a link to the text, but the discs can be found at a sensible price here.

[I should add that I do not know either of these recordings, and opinions on them range from considerable enthusiasm to outright dismissal. It's McBurney's notes which are the main attraction for me.]

[Nick Armstrong]

Just finished my first hearing of the 5th Symphony. That means I'm now an expert on Shostakovich and that I know what I'm talking about.

Extraordinary, simply extraordinary. The irony of that climax at the end is of course lost on me presently, but I don't care. I love it!

Mario

[ahinton]

Credit to you for your honesty, AH. You were in for some stick there, you know! I was, actually, gobsmacked to read what you wrote, as though we don't always (even often) agree I never think of you as less than sincere.

Well, it was quite unbelievably daft, as I'm sure you realise - and the "stick" is as much from me as from anyone else. I still "stick" to my remark that the Fourth is the finest of them all and I'd also value the Sixth, Eighth, Tenth and Thirteenth above no. 5, but the immense popularity of no. 5 is no reason to cast any aspersions on it and it doesn't deserve any; the finale's coda only convinces me fully when it's taken very briskly to avoid giving too much of an impression of pomp and circumstance (though not necessarily to give away the opposite impression), but Shostakovich's intentions here can be taken several ways. Quite what happened in his other D minor symphony I don't know, unless he just felt somewhat cowed by the sheer power of his Fourth that had just received its gravedly delayed première.

[ahinton]

I wouldn't worry, Mario, there's a lot of it about!

Not all of it as perverse as branding the 5th as DSCH's weakest, though!!

But who on earth or elsewhere would do anything quite so absurd as that?

[Nick Armstrong]

But who on earth or elsewhere would do anything quite so absurd as that?

No one in their right mind or at least only someone half-asleep, judging by your #170 which I've just seen!! The perils of late-night posting... There seems to have been some tactical deletion but the quote system leaves one's infelicities hanging in the ether...

[cloughie]

It's the link, on that page, to "Discovering Music" that is broken, A2. However, I note that Gerard McBurney provided the programme notes for the re-issue of the Hallé Orchestra/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski recordings of the 5th symphony (Fanning provided those for the 10th, I think). I can't find a link to the text, but the discs can be found at a sensible price here.

[I should add that I do not know either of these recordings, and opinions on them range from considerable enthusiasm to outright dismissal. It's McBurney's notes which are the main attraction for me.]

They are very good performances, but looking on Amazon, I am surprised by their limited availability/cost! Indeed Skrow's output seems to be gaining cult status if the prices of some of his Bruckner Syms are any guide.

[3rd Viennese School]

Its quite significant that he composed No.12 in 1961. It's the 44th anniversary of the Russian Revolution!

3VS

(I'll get me coat.)

[BBMmk2]

They are very good performances, but looking on Amazon, I am surprised by their limited availability/cost! Indeed Skrow's output seems to be gaining cult status if the prices of some of his Bruckner Syms are any guide.

Always good to look elsewhere though?

[Petrushka]

I'm struggling to find Yevtushenko's text to The Execution of Stepan Razin which is included on the Kondrashin set of the Shostakovich symphonies. I've trawled the web but can't seem to find it. Must be there somewhere! Can anyone give me a link?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm struggling to find Yevtushenko's text to The Execution of Stepan Razin which is included on the Kondrashin set of the Shostakovich symphonies. I've trawled the web but can't seem to find it. Must be there somewhere! Can anyone give me a link?

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-execution-of-stenka-razin/

EDIT: the link doesn't seem to work. I found it on "poemhunter.com." IGNORE THIS EDIT!*

Hope this is useful - I notice it's not quite the same title "Stepan" becomes "Stenka": hopefully just a transliteration thing?

Best Wishes.

* = EDITofEDIT: Link works now!

[Petrushka]

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-e...-stenka-razin/

EDIT: the link doesn't seem to work. I found it on "poemhunter.com." IGNORE THIS EDIT!*

Hope this is useful - I notice it's not quite the same title "Stepan" becomes "Stenka": hopefully just a transliteration thing?

Best Wishes.

* = EDITofEDIT: Link works now!

Many thanks, FHG. Ideally, I'd like the Russian text in transliteration as well but your link gives the gist of what is being sung. Incidentally, I know the authorities did all they could to sabotage the first performance but how on earth did YY and DSCH get away with this?