Shostakovich: which one is your favourite amongst his works?

[cocolinmichela]

Born on this day in 1906.
I like his symphonies and some of his piano works, but from a cellist's point of view, my favourite work has to be his cello concerto n 1, played flawlessly here by Julian Lloyd Webber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBde92dqCVk

By the way, does anybody know if he ever recorded the concerto on CD? I could only find recordings by Sol Gabetta and Misha Maisky on Amazon.
Thanks!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It isn't listed in his discography. But what a fascinating YouTube recording.

[johnb]

Hi cocolinmichela,

There are many, many of recordings of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1. This is a link that shows both Cello Concerti, which captures recordings where the number isn't quoted. If the number isn't quoted it is likely to be No 1, Op 107 (No 2 is Op 126).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=shostakovich%20cello%20concerto&sprefix=shostakovich+cello%2Caps%2C230

Shostakovich wrote both concerti for Rostropovich - so it is definitely worth hearing his recordings of the works.

A video of Rostropovich playing No 1 (complete) on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h23WjKXDe4w

I seem to remember that, according to Elizabeth Wilson's "A Life Remembered", Rostropovich (who knew Shostakovich) wanted Shostakovich to write a concerto for him but was nervous about asking. So he talked to Nina (Shostakovich's then wife) who told him not to ask Dmitri Dmitriyevich but just to wait.

[Edit] Apologies - I misread your post. You were asking about recordings by JLW, not recordings in general.

[Sir Velo]

Would have to be the 10th symphony: lacerating; uncompromising; with one of the most spine tinglingly menacing scherzi ever written.

VC1 and Piano trio No2 not far behind.

[pastoralguy]

Would have to be the 10th symphony: lacerating; uncompromising; with one of the most spine tinglingly menacing scherzi ever written.

VC1 and Piano trio No2 not far behind.

[ahinton]

It's too early in the day to answer impossible questions! Mind you, no time of day would be appropriate for trying to answer a question like this! One remarkable aspect of this prolific composer's work is that he wrote well below his best quite rarely (the Third and Twelfth Symphonies spring to mind); even a fair amount of his movie music is pretty fine of its kind. Of the symphonies, the ones that stand out most for me are 1, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 15 but, above all, 4 - but that's just the symphonies! No - can't answer that one; sorry!

[pastoralguy]

Born on this day in 1906.
I like his symphonies and some of his piano works, but from a cellist's point of view, my favourite work has to be his cello concerto n 1, played flawlessly here by Julian Lloyd Webber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBde92dqCVk

By the way, does anybody know if he ever recorded the concerto on CD? I could only find recordings by Sol Gabetta and Misha Maisky on Amazon.
Thanks!

I was lucky enough to hear Rostropovich play this work with the SNO under Neemi Jarvi about 20 (!!) years ago. It must be the greatest sound I've ever heard from a string instrument. The second half was a symphony by Tubin - one of Jarvi's pet composers. Rostropovich sat at the back of the 'cello section and played along. His desk partner was a young girl who had just joined the orchestra a few weeks before!

[ahinton]

I was lucky enough to hear Rostropovich play this work with the SNO under Neemi Jarvi about 20 (!!) years ago. It must be the greatest sound I've ever heard from a string instrument. The second half was a symphony by Tubin - one of Jarvi's pet composers. Rostropovich sat at the back of the 'cello section and played along. His desk partner was a young girl who had just joined the orchestra a few weeks before!

I recall an incodent many years ago in which Pierre Fournier told a conductor that he wanted to do that in the second half of an orchestral concert in which he was appearing as soloist in the first half; I think that the work in the second half was Elgar's Second Symphony. Unwisely - and in the end unsuccessfully - the conductor apparently tried hard to discourage him from doing this; Fournier insisted, adding that he wouldn't play the concerto unless he were allowed to do this!

[Nick Armstrong]

It would be the 15th Symphony (as implied by the recent thread I started about it); and among the chamber works, the Piano Trio No 2 and Piano Quintet.

DSCH




PS: while writing, a big welcome and thanks for this thread, cocolinmichela!

[amateur51]

I recall an incodent many years ago in which Pierre Fournier told a conductor that he wanted to do that in the second half of an orchestral concert in which he was appearing as soloist in the first half; I think that the work in the second half was Elgar's Second Symphony. Unwisely - and in the end unsuccessfully - the conductor apparently tried hard to discourage him from doing this; Fournier insisted, adding that he wouldn't play the concerto unless he were allowed to do this!

I think there's a 'live' recording of Fournier playing the solo part (!) in Shostakovich cello concerto no.1 - has anyone heard it?

[Richard Barrett]

The 4th symphony, by some distance.

[Bryn]

The 4th symphony, by some distance.

ditto.

[amateur51]

The 4th symphony, by some distance.

Haitink is conducting the 4th with LSO very soon at the Barbican and I can't wait ; closely followed the next week by symphony no.15

[pastoralguy]

PS: while writing, a big welcome and thanks for this thread, cocolinmichela!

Seconded! Look forward to hearing more from you.

[Serial_Apologist]

Seconded! Look forward to hearing more from you.

I don't have a particular favourite - the music from every period contains so many favourable characteristics - but I do admit to having a soft spot for the second symphony. I bet I'm on my own here with that one!