Shostakovich: which one is your favourite amongst his works?

[cocolinmichela]

Belated welcome to the boards!

My favourite is Shostakoviuch's 7th or 5th I cant decide right now!

Thanks!

[pastoralguy]

Do you know the Martinu 'cello concertos? (Trying to remember if there are one or two!)

[edashtav]

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

:

Terrific Choices,Cali, I'd happily sit through that chamber/orchestral concert with you.

[jayne lee wilson]

I place 4 and 15 above all else in his symphonic output with 5 and 10 not far behind - but for me it HAS to be the 7th, the Great Symphony of the Siege of Leningrad.
I love it for its melody, its tragedy, its anguish and its joy. That long slow quiet anticipation through the finale, then the plunge into the coda, those almost hysterical string figurations and then - THAT MOMENT, as those snarling firebird fanfares rise, twice, against the tension, bursting for release...

Then I think back over DSCH's most glorious slow movement, the shattering requiem at the height of the first movement's blundering destructiveness... that ashen bassoon among the ruins... the broad sunlit landscape of the very beginning...
oh yes, it just has to be the 7th.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is it just bad luck that the 13th Symphony hasn't been nominated? (I'm reminded of it myself, simply because a friend in the Huddersfield Choral Society is in Liverpool a lot of this week recording the work with Petrenko and Jayne's local band.)

[cocolinmichela]

Do you know the Martinu 'cello concertos? (Trying to remember if there are one or two!)

Heard of them but cant say I know them! Listening to the concerto 1 on YouTube now, very nice, thanks for your post and suggestion!!

[BBMmk2]

Good to see someone in the lower strings on the board, from someone who is low brass!

Martinu's music, generally speaking, is always good to explore.

[arthroceph]

I suppose it's the first symphony for me, mainly because it has the added context of this 19 year old coming out with something so original, technical and even melodious. I can easily imagine what people in 1927 may have thought. I was 19 when I first started liking DSCH.

[cocolinmichela]

Good to see someone in the lower strings on the board, from someone who is low brass!

Martinu's music, generally speaking, is always good to explore.

[amateur51]

I place 4 and 15 above all else in his symphonic output with 5 and 10 not far behind - but for me it HAS to be the 7th, the Great Symphony of the Siege of Leningrad.
I love it for its melody, its tragedy, its anguish and its joy. That long slow quiet anticipation through the finale, then the plunge into the coda, those almost hysterical string figurations and then - THAT MOMENT, as those snarling firebird fanfares rise, twice, against the tension, bursting for release...

Then I think back over DSCH's most glorious slow movement, the shattering requiem at the height of the first movement's blundering destructiveness... that ashen bassoon among the ruins... the broad sunlit landscape of the very beginning...
oh yes, it just has to be the 7th.

Welcome back, jlw!

[EdgeleyRob]

Welcome cocolinmichela and welcome back Jayne.

7th Symphony,shattering (for me)from the very first note to the very last.
7th String Quartet,small but perfectly formed.
13th String Quartet,makes me cry.
15th String Quartet,can't think straight (in a good way)after a dose of this.

[Mahler's3rd]

Hi Cocolinmichela, Mine would be the 2nd Piano Concerto, 1st Violin Concerto, Symphonies 4, 8, 11 & 15, but in particular the 7th thats so intense

[Mahler's3rd]

Also looking forward to going to see The Nose in a Live Relay from The Met next month, Ive never seen that

[slarty]

I am surprised to be the first to mention "Katerina Ismailova" or if you will "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District".
His own revision of the opera in 1962 was premiered in Britain under the former title in 1963 at Covent Garden conducted by Ted Downes.
I like this version very much.Sung in english - translated by the conductor himself.
It was revived the next season and never again. I wonder why? Surely it would do well with a modern production now.

Katerina Ismailova - 2 December 1963

Covent Garden Opera Company
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

Conductor Edward Downes

Katerina Lvovna Ismailova Marie Collier
Boris Timofeyevich Ismailov Otakar Kraus
Zinovsky Borisovich Ismailov Edgar Evans
Workman from Mill David Winnard
Aksinya Barbara Howitt
Sergei Charles Craig
Coachman Lewis Powell
Village Drunk John Lanigan
Porter Eric Garrett
Steward Rhydderch Davies
1st Workman Andrew Daniels
2nd Workman Daniel McCoshan
Priest David Kelly
Police Inspector Robert Savoie
Policeman George Reibbitt
Local Nihilist Joseph Ward
Old Convict Michael Langdon
Sentry Eric Garrett
Sonyetka Janet Coster
Female Convict Jeannette Sinclair
Sergeant Dennis Wicks

[Flay]

Hello and welcome from me too, Cocolinmichela

It's too difficult to give a favourite, there are so many great works.

Perhaps his 10th symphony for the profound journey of the first movement and its scortching scherzo.

But the piano quintet is marvellous. And the 8th quartet, with its excitement and tradgedy.

His slow movements can be so profound and moving - as in the 9th symphony.

So you won't get a straight answer from me on this question.


It's funny that your first post is about DSCH. So was mine on the original Radio 3 message board many years ago. I was overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of friendly replies.