Search - Spoken Word, Dmitry Shostakovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 'Leningrad'

My Favorite Version of This Monumental Work

classicaltrumpet05 | Alamo Heights, TX | 10/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a must have! I first ran across this CD on a trip to London this past summer. Being a Shostakovich lover, I was intrigued. This CD allows the listener to hear a high quality performance by the orchestra from the city that this symphony was written for and where Shostakovich lived when he wrote his Seventh Symphony. I believe it to be far superior to the more well known Decca recording of this with Bernard Haitink and the London Philharmonic. The first movement starts off much more briskly than expected and adds to the feeling of resiliency. The recurring theme builds beautifully to a huge climax. The requiem is amazingly beautiful. The second and third movements are very well done, with Ashkenazy giving wonderful insight into the music. The fourth movement is as depressing in the beginning as I've ever heard it played. The end, however, is absolutley inspiring. It's almost ineffable. This CD is a MUST HAVE for any true lovers of Shostakovich as well as for just music lovers."

Excellent Modern Reading

Ekrem Ayyildiz | istanbul,turkey | 08/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shostakovich's symphonies are known with its generally epic, depressive, ironic and late romantic, sometimes impressionist, sometimes neo-classic and ofcourse paradoxal character. Because his works contains very different influences from Bach, Beethoven, Mahler and Tchaikovsky to Ravel, Stravinsky and Jazz&Folk musics. Above all, his works and artistic personality are really original; no doubt.

Ashkenazy's reading of the 'Leningrad' emerges influences of the (relatively) modern composers and jazz music, especially on the brass parts. But you can also hear its late romantic sound.

I think the tempi are ideal for this great symphony because many important recordings I've heard ( Bernstein, Haitink, Rostropovich, Slovak etc.)have a problem about this point with exception Jansons' awarded recording with the same orchestra in 1988 on EMI and Rozhdestvensky's on Melodia.

Now my favorites became 'two': Jansons' tragic, dynamic, conservative and powerful reading and this modern, spectacular and relatively lyric reading; powerful too.

'Leningrad' Symphony is St.Petersburg(Leningrad) Philharmonic's job!

This CD also includes Shostakovich's talking about "Leningrad" recorded in 1941, before the beginning of the symphony and this is a special thing for this CD. Recording quality is 'special' too and even a bit better than Jansons' great recording, for some details(forexample timpani and drums)(Digital-Stereo, in 1995- for 50'th Anniversary of lasting of World War II)

A must to have item, at expensive price though. Don't miss.

My favorite Shostakovich symphonies and in my opinion their ideal/excellent interpretations:

SYMPHONY No.5 :

Mravinsky, Leningrad Philharmonic, 1984, live, stereo, Teldec-Erato.

Rostropovich, National S.O.-Washington, 1993, digital, Teldec

Ashkenazy, Royal Philharmonic, Digital, Decca

SYMPHONY No.7 :

Jansons, St.Petersburg Philharmonic,1988, digital, EMI.

Ashkenazy, St.Petersburg Phil., 1995, digital, Decca

Rozhdestvensky, USSR Ministry of Culture S.O.,digital,Melodia

SYMPHONY No.10 :

Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker, 1981, digital, DG."