Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Oleg Caetani, Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan :: Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

An odd marriage of Italy and Russia, but very expressive

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oleg Caetani earned a good deal of praise for this pairing of the Shostakovich Fifth and sixth, and one can see why. He has a natural, expressive way with both works. He also tries an unusual tactic of softening Shostakovich's bite, which would seem to promise failure. But instead of declawing this music, Caetani finds tenderness and lyurical dreaminess where foew others do (in the opening movement of the Fifth, for example, and the middle section of the same work's finale). Quirky as his approach is, I found myself moved by passages that I had taken for granted before.



The recorded sound is quite good. I know many lsiteners will find it queer to hear Shostakovich from Italy, even if Caetani is the son of the russian meastro Igor Markevitch (he took his mother's maiden name for the purposes of non-competition with his father). But it must be said that the Giuseppe Verdi Orch. of Milan isn't a first rate or even second rate orchestra -- a good bunch of conservatory students in New York or Philadelphia could easily outplay them -- but they are expressive and sincere, which perfectly suits Caetani's vision of this music."