Dmitri's Dacha

[vers la flamme]

So I found something new to do on a night of miserable insomnia (made more miserable by a strong bout of the nausea and dizziness I'm battling for the last month): make a list of Shostakovich orchestral works that I can listen to during severe insomnia. Because really, he's probably a good composer for that sort of thing.

Even while being a little conservative in some respects by excluding stage works and film music and arrangements of other composers, but including vocal and choral works (because several of the symphonies are those anyway), I ended up with a list of 41 works. Which means the symphonies and concertos are only half the list.

The scale of those works does vary quite a bit, some are only a few minutes long.

So that's my latest listening "project", Shostakovich in the early hours of the morning. I'm not quite sure whether I'm starting now or whether the time spent compiling the list will help me go to sleep now...

Just wanted to say that you and I are in the same boat, as I'm also dealing with insomnia, nausea and dizziness this past month. Feel better soon. Music can indeed be a comfort.

[foxandpeng]

Just wanted to say that you and I are in the same boat, as I'm also dealing with insomnia, nausea and dizziness this past month. Feel better soon. Music can indeed be a comfort.

Insomniacs corner, here...

[Roasted Swan]

As the releases to celebrate the Shostakovich 50th anniversary begin to mount up I've been listening to a couple;



This is the 2nd (2 disc) release in this multi national/Cologne based quartet's cycle.  I thought the 1st set of quartets 7-13 was stunning and this one (Nos.1-6 presented in reverse order on the CD's) is just as good.  For my ear an ideal blend of technical brilliance but with a willingness to play down and dirty when the music wants it.  There are SO MANY brilliant quartets who play this musical with great skill but sometimes I feel they are not willing to sacrifice sheer beauty or tonal blend for the sake of the music.  The expressive range of the Asasello Quartet is quite superb.  There will never be a "best" cycle for this remarkable series of pieces but this is one that I enjoy as much as any.

Then I picked up as a hi-res downloiad this set;



I have a few of the individual symphony releases and despite my lukewarm reaction to those I thought getting all of them plus the concerti and Lady Macbeth was too good a bargain.  I really have only dipped into some of the performances I had not previously heard but my reaction stays the same.  Some sensational playing, mainly decent engineering, perfectly "sane" interpretations but everything just comes across as safe and comfortable.  No danger, no sense of the fraught.  I listened to all of "The Leningrad" and yes it goes loud and soft and fast and slow but there is nothing cumulative about anything.  No tension, no release. 

I must admit I'm beginning to think that Nelsons is remarkably lucky to front the major orchestras he does and have the recording contract he does in an age where almost no-one gets to record what he has.  Putting to one side the technical quality of the playing he gets I cannot think of a single recording of anything by him which I would put in my top 5 for any given piece.  I am sure the more I listen to this set there will be some pieces I enjoy more than others but this has been a rather underwhelming start......

[relm1]

As the releases to celebrate the Shostakovich 50th anniversary begin to mount up I've been listening to a couple;



This is the 2nd (2 disc) release in this multi national/Cologne based quartet's cycle.  I thought the 1st set of quartets 7-13 was stunning and this one (Nos.1-6 presented in reverse order on the CD's) is just as good.  For my ear an ideal blend of technical brilliance but with a willingness to play down and dirty when the music wants it.  There are SO MANY brilliant quartets who play this musical with great skill but sometimes I feel they are not willing to sacrifice sheer beauty or tonal blend for the sake of the music.  The expressive range of the Asasello Quartet is quite superb.  There will never be a "best" cycle for this remarkable series of pieces but this is one that I enjoy as much as any.

Then I picked up as a hi-res downloiad this set;



I have a few of the individual symphony releases and despite my lukewarm reaction to those I thought getting all of them plus the concerti and Lady Macbeth was too good a bargain.  I really have only dipped into some of the performances I had not previously heard but my reaction stays the same.  Some sensational playing, mainly decent engineering, perfectly "sane" interpretations but everything just comes across as safe and comfortable.  No danger, no sense of the fraught.  I listened to all of "The Leningrad" and yes it goes loud and soft and fast and slow but there is nothing cumulative about anything.  No tension, no release. 

I must admit I'm beginning to think that Nelsons is remarkably lucky to front the major orchestras he does and have the recording contract he does in an age where almost no-one gets to record what he has.  Putting to one side the technical quality of the playing he gets I cannot think of a single recording of anything by him which I would put in my top 5 for any given piece.  I am sure the more I listen to this set there will be some pieces I enjoy more than others but this has been a rather underwhelming start......

I listened to Lady Macbeth from this set and agree, it's very well recorded but doesn't compare to the Rostropovich recording which is full of fire, blood, and emotion!

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

As the releases to celebrate the Shostakovich 50th anniversary begin to mount up I've been listening to a couple;



This is the 2nd (2 disc) release in this multi national/Cologne based quartet's cycle.  I thought the 1st set of quartets 7-13 was stunning and this one (Nos.1-6 presented in reverse order on the CD's) is just as good.  For my ear an ideal blend of technical brilliance but with a willingness to play down and dirty when the music wants it.  There are SO MANY brilliant quartets who play this musical with great skill but sometimes I feel they are not willing to sacrifice sheer beauty or tonal blend for the sake of the music.  The expressive range of the Asasello Quartet is quite superb.  There will never be a "best" cycle for this remarkable series of pieces but this is one that I enjoy as much as any.

Then I picked up as a hi-res downloiad this set;



I have a few of the individual symphony releases and despite my lukewarm reaction to those I thought getting all of them plus the concerti and Lady Macbeth was too good a bargain.  I really have only dipped into some of the performances I had not previously heard but my reaction stays the same.  Some sensational playing, mainly decent engineering, perfectly "sane" interpretations but everything just comes across as safe and comfortable.  No danger, no sense of the fraught.  I listened to all of "The Leningrad" and yes it goes loud and soft and fast and slow but there is nothing cumulative about anything.  No tension, no release. 

I must admit I'm beginning to think that Nelsons is remarkably lucky to front the major orchestras he does and have the recording contract he does in an age where almost no-one gets to record what he has.  Putting to one side the technical quality of the playing he gets I cannot think of a single recording of anything by him which I would put in my top 5 for any given piece.  I am sure the more I listen to this set there will be some pieces I enjoy more than others but this has been a rather underwhelming start......

I own a few of the Nelsons recordings of the Shostakovich symphonies and remain largely unimpressed with his conducting truth be told. I think Nelsons is more effective as an accompanist. To me, it sounds like no one is on the podium. There aren't any interesting choices with dynamics or phrasing, but, most of all, there just isn't any aggression or rawness in his approach. Shostakovich's music needs more power, too. It just sounds so...empty.

[Roasted Swan]

I own a few of the Nelsons recordings of the Shostakovich symphonies and remain largely unimpressed with his conducting truth be told. I think Nelsons is more effective as an accompanist. To me, it sounds like no one is on the podium. There aren't any interesting choices with dynamics or phrasing, but, most of all, there just isn't any aggression or rawness in his approach. Shostakovich's music needs more power, too. It just sounds so...empty.

Yup!

[Brian]

1. Anti-Formalist Rayok
2. Impromptu for Viola and Piano (live rec.)
3. Scherzo for piano, Op. 1a
4-6. Three fugues for piano
7-9. Three fragments from "The Nose": two entr'actes and beginning of Act III (live rec.)
10-14. Five pieces for two violins and piano (arr. Atomyan; live rec.)
15. In the Forest (live rec.)
16-17. Prelude and fugue in C sharp minor (completed by Meyer)
18. Murzilka (live rec.)
19. Yelabuga Nail (completed by Raskatov)

[AnotherSpin]

1. Anti-Formalist Rayok
2. Impromptu for Viola and Piano (live rec.)
3. Scherzo for piano, Op. 1a
4-6. Three fugues for piano
7-9. Three fragments from "The Nose": two entr'actes and beginning of Act III (live rec.)
10-14. Five pieces for two violins and piano (arr. Atomyan; live rec.)
15. In the Forest (live rec.)
16-17. Prelude and fugue in C sharp minor (completed by Meyer)
18. Murzilka (live rec.)
19. Yelabuga Nail (completed by Raskatov)

Yelabuga is a city in Tatarstan, located pretty far from the Ukrainian-Russian border, more than a thousand kilometers away. There's a major drone factory there, and those drones are used almost daily to attack Ukraine, mostly hitting civilian targets. At least that's how it happens in Odesa and the region. Last night, Ukrainian forces managed to hit the plant in Yelabuga — it was a successful strike.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

There aren't any interesting choices with dynamics or phrasing, but, most of all, there just isn't any aggression or rawness in his approach.

That's maybe a mistake I make. Say, Symphony no. 8. For me there's only Sanderling with Berlin. It bites. It's grim. You hear it already in the first minute. I need to hear the string bows. No mud.
If now I compare with Nelsons, it starts off more muddy and tame, then it's already out of competition for me. I then feel sorry but life is short.

[Roasted Swan]

1. Anti-Formalist Rayok
2. Impromptu for Viola and Piano (live rec.)
3. Scherzo for piano, Op. 1a
4-6. Three fugues for piano
7-9. Three fragments from "The Nose": two entr'actes and beginning of Act III (live rec.)
10-14. Five pieces for two violins and piano (arr. Atomyan; live rec.)
15. In the Forest (live rec.)
16-17. Prelude and fugue in C sharp minor (completed by Meyer)
18. Murzilka (live rec.)
19. Yelabuga Nail (completed by Raskatov)

• First find one barrel
• decide which way is up and down of barrel
• find sharp serrated tool
• Commence scraping bottom of said barrel

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

That's maybe a mistake I make. Say, Symphony no. 8. For me there's only Sanderling with Berlin. It bites. It's grim. You hear it already in the first minute. I need to hear the string bows. No mud.
If now I compare with Nelsons, it starts off more muddy and tame, then it's already out of competition for me. I then feel sorry but life is short.

There was someone on another forum I frequent actually defending Nelsons and I'm asking myself "Why?" There's absolutely nothing special about any recording I've heard from him. I'm not trying to tell anyone who is a fan of his conducting that I know best, no, but he is just one of the more overhyped conductors that seems to be getting more and more recordings when there are far more conductors working that I think have done more interesting things like John Neschling for example or Susanna Mälkki.

[Karl Henning]

When I first learnt that the plan was for Nelsons to record the Shostakovich symphonies for release on DG, I thought it unimaginative copycat programming (the Petrenko set was still fairly new.) And I expect I posted to that effect here. Now, however, I see that it's really a landmark endeavor: a major US orchestra recording the entire set live, and the BSO in excellent form. Somewhere I have the 2-CD release of the Fourth and Eleventh, and I should find it and listen afresh, but as live concert experiences, both the Fourth Symphony and the concert performance of Lady Macbeth were unquestionably special. I'm not asserting that anyone "must own" the cycle. I don't plan on buying more of the cycle, myself. But Nelsons has given world-class performances whenever I've seen him in Symphony Hall.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

When I first learnt that the plan was for Nelsons to record the Shostakovich symphonies for release on DG, I thought it unimaginative copycat programming (the Petrenko set was still fairly new.) And I expect I posted to that effect here. Now, however, I see that it's really a landmark endeavor: a major US orchestra recording the entire set live, and the BSO in excellent form. Somewhere I have the 2-CD release of the Fourth and Eleventh, and I should find it and listen afresh, but as live concert experiences, both the Fourth Symphony and the concert performance of Lady Macbeth were unquestionably special. I'm not asserting that anyone "must own" the cycle. I don't plan on buying more of the cycle, myself. But Nelsons has given world-class performances whenever I've seen him in Symphony Hall.

In a live context, I imagine Nelsons is excellent but us nerds who like to do comparative listening (and have that luxury) at home want something to complain about. I bet he was great in concert, though, and he has Beantown's finest playing for him, so that, within itself, is certainly worth a great deal.

[Roasted Swan]

When I first learnt that the plan was for Nelsons to record the Shostakovich symphonies for release on DG, I thought it unimaginative copycat programming (the Petrenko set was still fairly new.) And I expect I posted to that effect here. Now, however, I see that it's really a landmark endeavor: a major US orchestra recording the entire set live, and the BSO in excellent form. Somewhere I have the 2-CD release of the Fourth and Eleventh, and I should find it and listen afresh, but as live concert experiences, both the Fourth Symphony and the concert performance of Lady Macbeth were unquestionably special. I'm not asserting that anyone "must own" the cycle. I don't plan on buying more of the cycle, myself. But Nelsons has given world-class performances whenever I've seen him in Symphony Hall.

Very fair points all.  My experience of seeing Nelsons live (with the Philharmonia in the UK) was underwhelming.  He bounced around the podium like an over-enthusiastic puppy and the orchestra just did their thing albeit very well.  The playing was great, the musical insights more modest.  But clearly he has the charisma (or the recording contracts) that appeals to orchestras (or at least their management team).  I always like hearing great orchestras playing really well just because it is so hard to be that good but as far as the interpretative side goes I'm not sure I've ever heard a single Nelsons performance where his contribution has made me sit up and pay attention.  I find the same with his Bruckner in Leipzig - glorious playing but routine interpretation.