Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Ladislav Slovak, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) :: Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9

Officious readings

zaphod_4964 | Mexico | 06/14/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The name of Ladislav Slovak didn't sound familiar to me when I first listened to this coupling of Shostakovich symphonies. According to the notes in the CD booklet this conductor had been present at the first rehearsals of some of this composer's late symphonies conducted by Mravinsky with Shostakovich himself there to give his blessing. This information may be of no significance whatsoever if these performances were nothing but poor, but they aren't. Despite they are not direct rivals to versions by Previn, Haitink or Rozhdestvensky, (mostly because this slovak orchestra is not first-class but also because the recording sound lacks some definition) Slovak seems knowleadgeable enough for this music in terms of phrasing and balance of the ensemble to find his moments of poetry through this outstanding scores even with an under-strenght orchestra. This readings are officious, if not highly polished; however, on the whole, the Naxos label did better with Alex Rhabari and the BRT philarmonic on this same programme."