Search - Helsinki Philharmonic DePriest :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11

DePreist and Helsinki more than deliver

Bruce Hodges | New York, NY | 09/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although this piece is now very well-represented on recordings, this one still holds up quite well. This shattering, sorrowful symphony is in four movements, played without pause, depicting the Soviet uprising and massacre in 1905. It is an intense experience, but it more than rewards the listener with sheer visceral excitement.



James De Preist is absolutely in the driver's seat here, capturing the eerie, sorrowful quietness in the opening pages, all the way through the monumental ending that will take your sound system by storm. This piece gives an orchestra quite a workout, and De Preist encourages the Helsinki Philharmonic to deliver a powerful sound befitting the urgency of the music. If they are not known as one of the world's "great orchestras," it hardly seems to matter here; they certainly play their guts out.



Delos' sound quality is magnificent, given the work's enormous dynamic range. If the orchestra sounds as if it is positioned slightly further back than usual in the soundstage, this may be the engineers' decision, making sure they capture every bit of the sonic wall coming at them.



This is definitely not a recording for anyone seeking a quiet evening, but as a powerful, often draining musical experience, it will stick with you for a very long time. Newcomers to Shostakovich are usually steered toward the Fifth or Tenth symphonies - both masterpieces - but this one more than holds its own, and some listeners may respond more to the heart-on-sleeve, immediate impact of this one.

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