Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra :: Shostakovich: Symphonies No 6 & 12 /Haitink

A good recording of an underrated piece

Jonathan Toren | New York, NY United States | 01/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a huge fan of Shostakovich, I got this cd merely to listen to a couple of symphonies that I had not heard, but they turned out to be among my favorites. The Sixth is highly regarded, but the Twelfth has gotten a lot of bad press. I don't understand why; I think it's a great piece, one of his most immediately appealing works. Both pieces are big and brooding as is characteristic of Shostakovich's works. Although I'm not a big fan of Haitink (I think his Ring cycle is boring), he produces grand orchestral sound from the Concertgebouw and exciting performances of both pieces."

Two different symphonies - one great conductor

Bruce Hodges | New York, NY | 04/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love these recordings. The Sixth (originally coupled with the Eleventh) was one of the first CD's I ever bought, and it remains a favorite. Its unusual structure begins with a long, mournful slow movement, followed by a much shorter and faster middle section, ending with an even shorter, breathlessly-paced final movement. There are now many fine versions of this piece available, but Haitink's relative understatement works well with the somewhat extroverted nature of the music. The playing of the magnificent Concertgebouw Orchestra is, as usual, one of the highlights. The Shostakovich Twelth Symphony seems to have many more detractors than fans - including the composer himself. No, it is probably not the finest of his fifteen symphonies. It is filled with bombast and his inspiration seems to be not as tightly focused (diplomatically speaking), compared to masterpieces like 5, 8 and 10. Never mind. There is still a great musical mind on display, plenty of dramatic moments to savor, and the orchestral playing by, in this instance, the London Philharmonic, is excellent.Some find Haitink too self-effacing. I find that very quality an asset in this particular repertoire."

If you like heroic music check out Shostakovich 12

Polypterus | Menlo Park, CA United States | 06/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have never understood why Shostakovich's 12th doesn't get more credit. Sure, it's a big brassy heroic sounding piece, but sometimes that exactly what I want to hear. I often think if someone else had written it, it might have gone over better with the critics. If you want to introduce Shostakovich to your non-classical music aligned friends, look no further. In fact I would go so far to say there isn't really a week point in it as far as accessibility is concerned. Even it's somewhat brooding second movement has a certain subdued excitement to it. Shostakovich 6th is not catchy in the same way as the twelfth, but it tends to grow on you after listening to a few times. The orchestra on both these pieces is first grade and the sound quality is good. Truthfully this is one of my most played CDs."