Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Philharmonia Orchestra of London :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4; Katerina Ismailova Suite; Festive Overture

A fascinating and important disc

W. B. Spencer | Maryland, USA | 03/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The BBC comes through again! This CD documents the legendary first performance of the Fourth Symphony outside the USSR. Rozhdestvensky was all of 31 at the time, the Philharmonia had of course never seen the music before, and the results, despite the understandable occasional odd balance or live-performance smudge here and there, are electrifying (and rather different from Rozhdestvensky's studio recordings from the 1980s). If what you're looking for is every single note in exactly the right place, look elsewhere. If you want edge-of-the-seat music-making this is a terrific place to start (along with Kondrashin's Moscow Philharmonic studio recording from about the same time). The fill-ups are interesting and enjoyable too, but the symphony is the real reason to get this disc. A small caveat: at two points in the symphony the signal for some reason switches from stereo to mono for maybe a minute or so, but that shouldn't deter you."

Pearl of great price

Mahler fan | Georgia, USA | 02/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recommend this performance of the 4th symphony without reservation. It documents the Western premiere of this stunning symphony, and if I'm not mistaken, the composer himself was present at the performance. I'm particularly fond of genuine live events captured for posterity, and this is one of the greats. One need not be concerned about coughing, wrong notes, or less-than-perfect ensemble: it is a live and unedited musical experience to be savored repeatedly. I have no comments about the supplementary performances."