Search - Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, Aleksashkin :: Shostakovich: Sym No 13 & 15/Mussorgsky: Songs

Outstanding Shostakovich 13 & 15

W. Chiles | San Francisco, CA USA | 03/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Solti turned to Shostakovich rather late in his career, definitely responding emotionally to the composer's works. When I came of age, the post war intellectual crowd pretty much condemned Shostakovich's work as reactionary. Critics were just as likely to tell you to avoid his Leningrad symphony along with the 11th and barely tolerated the 5th and 10th. Fortunately his music prevailed and artists such as Solti and Tilson-Thomas realized later in their careers that he was one of the greatest symphonists of the 20th century. Solti's approach is lean, taut and exciting, and somewhat less hysterical than his earlier conducting in Chicago. The engineering is smooth and balanced, clear if a bit dry. I have heard several competing versions of these works, including Masur's 13th and Ormandy's 15th and can heartily recommend this budget recording as a near ideal in both works. Masur's 13th recorded live in New York has a more blended rounded sound to it, but Solti's is more emotionally powerful. His 15th stands up against those of Jarvi and Ormandy quite nicely. This is hard to find. Get this import release while you can."

A Welcome Return

Music Is Everything | Colorado Springs, CO USA | 12/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These recordings were out of print because Solti never finished his Shostakovich symphony cycle, but I'm glad to see them back. In his memoirs, Solti talks about coming to the music of Shostakovich rather late in his life. It's a good thing he finally got there! He lends to Shostakovich all the depth and perspective of his lengthy career. These symphonies are almost impossible to navigate, but Solti provides a clear structure while the Chicago Symphony plays fantastically well. These are performances that captivate on the first listening and endure on repeated hearings."