Dmitri's Dacha

[bhodges]

Same feelings here. I can hardly think of another piece of music that would stir my feelings to such an extent. And every single time too!

Agreed.  That "Passacaglia" is one of the highlights of the First, which is my favorite violin concerto (by a slight margin, of many).  I just heard it again last Saturday night by Lisa Batiashvili (with Oramo and the NY Phil), who played it with steely assurance.  Her performance was distinguished by her ability to project: every single note was audible in the orchestral mix.  Sometimes you can see performers executing the furious runs in the "Scherzo" or the final "Burlesca" but you can't really hear what they're playing.  That wasn't a problem here. 

--Bruce

[PaulR]

Agreed.  That "Passacaglia" is one of the highlights of the First, which is my favorite violin concerto (by a slight margin, of many).  I just heard it again last Saturday night by Lisa Batiashvili (with Oramo and the NY Phil), who played it with steely assurance.  Her performance was distinguished by her ability to project: every single note was audible in the orchestral mix.  Sometimes you can see performers executing the furious runs in the "Scherzo" or the final "Burlesca" but you can't really hear what they're playing.  That wasn't a problem here. 

--Bruce

Sounds like a good concert

I still remember the trip I took last year to see the NYPO play that (and Shosty 10) with Venegrov and Rostropovich conducting

[bhodges]

Sounds like a good concert

I still remember the trip I took last year to see the NYPO play that (and Shosty 10) with Venegrov and Rostropovich conducting

That Vengerov performance was amazing.  He found a little bit more depth in the piece (and it was interesting to see his interpretation grow even more since his 1995 recording), but Batiashvili was excellent in her own way.  Her accuracy was formidable, helped by Oramo's more moderate speeds, allowing her to register every single note.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Don, have you heard Olli Mustonen's series interleaving JS Bach and the Shostakovich Opus 87?

[Don]

Don, have you heard Olli Mustonen's series interleaving JS Bach and the Shostakovich Opus 87?

Yes, and I don't think very well of the interpretations.  They are highly self-indugent, particularly in the Bach where he butchers the music.

[vandermolen]

I'm tempted to buy the Kondrashin box set of symphonies although it is not cheap. Does anyone have them? I'd be interested to hear views. I have separate Melodiya discs of Symphony 4 (magnificent) and nos 9 and 15 (I'm surprised that Maxim Shostakovich's premiere recording has never made it to CD).

[Sergeant Rock]

Agreed.  That "Passacaglia" is one of the highlights of the First, which is my favorite violin concerto (by a slight margin, of many).  I just heard it again last Saturday night by Lisa Batiashvili (with Oramo and the NY Phil), who played it with steely assurance.  Her performance was distinguished by her ability to project: every single note was audible in the orchestral mix.  Sometimes you can see performers executing the furious runs in the "Scherzo" or the final "Burlesca" but you can't really hear what they're playing.  That wasn't a problem here. 
--Bruce

I'll be hearing her myself next week: she's playing the Sibelius Monday and Tuesday in Ludwigshafen and the Prokofiev Second in Mainz Friday evening. Based on your review, it appears I have something to look forward to.

Sarge

[karlhenning]

Part of my Explorations in Listening this long weekend past, was (believe it or not) the Song of the Forests, Opus 81.  And it is good!  Imagine my surprise when my friend played this for me, and I realized that there was no reason to despise the piece . . . .

[karlhenning]

Love the Opus 46 Pushkin settings.

[karlhenning]

Yesterday, I spent perhaps forty minutes leafing through David Hurwitz's Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos - An Owner's Manual at the School Street Borders.  As the spirit of the title promises (and, to be sure, as one expects from Hurwitz), this is a book oriented not to experienced musicians, but to the amateur trying to make sense of It All.  It really isn't bad, all in all;  though there is the odd attitude, and the occasional trotting out of an idée reçue which prompts one, not to want to strangle Hurwitz (which would be distastefully extreme), but to leisurely bung some rotten fruit at him.  Against that, he's made some earnest attempt at illustrating the form and musical content of many of the works, which is a matter entirely different to the shallow rantage customary in many of his recordings reviews.  In some respects, really an interesting read, though from this senator's standpoint, a book I might browse at the bookstore, but not one I need on the shelf at home.

[BachQ]

Yesterday, I spent perhaps forty minutes leafing through David Hurwitz's Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos - An Owner's Manual at the School Street Borders.  As the spirit of the title promises (and, to be sure, as one expects from Hurwitz), this is a book oriented not to experienced musicians, but to the amateur trying to make sense of It All.  It really isn't bad, all in all;  though there is the odd attitude, and the occasional trotting out of an idée reçue which prompts one, not to want to strangle Hurwitz (which would be distastefully extreme), but to leisurely bung some rotten fruit at him.  Against that, he's made some earnest attempt at illustrating the form and musical content of many of the works, which is a matter entirely different to the shallow rantage customary in many of his recordings reviews.  In some respects, really an interesting read, though from this senator's standpoint, a book I might browse at the bookstore, but not one I need on the shelf at home.

Karl, I think it's high time that you write a book on Shosty's symphony cycle.  I'll volunteer as a contributing author for sym's 5 and 12 . . . . . . .

[PaulR]

Jansons take on the 14th symphony is really good I think.  Which kinda came to light after a 2nd or 3rd time listening to it. When I first listened to it, it came off to me as decent, not great, but not bad.  The main problem was the percussion at times was too soft, but that's not a big problem any for me.  And as I keep listening to it, I find I like it more and more.  I like how he handles the last movement. 

and the 14th, although it was hard for me to get into, is such a great piece

[karlhenning]

Maksim Dmitriyevich's is an outstanding account of the Fourteenth!

I haven't listened yet to the Jansons, though I hope to do so this week.

[tjguitar]

I only have the 3 film CDs on Chandos.  I think it's some of his best work.

[not edward]

It occurs to me that at present I lack the piano concertos. While they're certainly not as ambitious a work as many of DSCH's, they're definitely works I should have.

Recommendations, please?

[AnthonyAthletic]

EMI: Alexeev/Maksymiuk for 1 & 2 and the Assault on Beautifuly Gorky  Outstanding.

Now can somebody confirm what I suspect that these two issues are the same but £80 price difference? 

[Drasko]

Now can somebody confirm what I suspect that these two issues are the same but £80 price difference? 

http://www.melody.su/eng/work/catalog/classic/529

[Choo Choo]

I don't know about £80, but I paid about £50 for the set on the left and consider it one of the best purchases I ever made.  This is a "burning building" set - as in, if you wake in the middle of the night and find the building is on fire, which half-dozen sets of recordings do you try and rescue before the flames consume you.

I followed the link in Milos's post, and checked the dates & details against the booklets in my set, and they match identically.  12 quid?  Push the button?  You'd have to be insane not to.

But I'm sure you already did - hours ago, in fact. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Now can somebody confirm what I suspect that these two issues are the same but £80 price difference? 

They are indeed the same, AA.

Identical in every way.

Initially this Borodin set appeared on EMI as a joint Melodiya/EMI product. Later Melodiya got sole possession of the tapes and reissued the set on their own - pictured on the left.

The EMI edition (on single discs) can still be found floating about the used CD market. It's scarce but offers a nice price break.

[AnthonyAthletic]

Thanks Guys for your confirmation, the set duly snapped up for £13 delivered.

Happy to see the UK supplier still had 5 copies left.

ukdirectoffers part of UK Amazon 

Cheers