Mariss Jansons In Rehearsal With The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Shostakovich's grim Eighth Symphony was written in 1943 and premiered by its dedicatee, Evgeny Mravinsky, whose recordings of the work still stand supreme. Now, Mariss Jansons, who as a young conductor was mentored by Mrav... more »insky, leads his Pittsburgh players in a stellar concert performance recorded live. Orchestral execution is first-rate, and Jansons doesn't smooth over or prettify the hourlong work, soaked in the composer's bitterness about the Nazi and Stalinist brutality that stamped his life with fear and loathing. The long opening Adagio, with its brooding strings and pitiless brass eruptions, is shattering, as are the following grotesque Allegretto and the relentlessly powerful third movement. The final two movements maintain the bleak mood, though, as so often in Shostakovich, the finale makes half-hearted attempts to recover a measure of joy amid the gloom. Jansons and his orchestra sustain this potent work's intensity throughout, confirming the Eighth as one of the composer's most important and fully realized works. The filler is an interesting rehearsal excerpt. An essential recording of an essential work. --Dan Davis« less
Shostakovich's grim Eighth Symphony was written in 1943 and premiered by its dedicatee, Evgeny Mravinsky, whose recordings of the work still stand supreme. Now, Mariss Jansons, who as a young conductor was mentored by Mravinsky, leads his Pittsburgh players in a stellar concert performance recorded live. Orchestral execution is first-rate, and Jansons doesn't smooth over or prettify the hourlong work, soaked in the composer's bitterness about the Nazi and Stalinist brutality that stamped his life with fear and loathing. The long opening Adagio, with its brooding strings and pitiless brass eruptions, is shattering, as are the following grotesque Allegretto and the relentlessly powerful third movement. The final two movements maintain the bleak mood, though, as so often in Shostakovich, the finale makes half-hearted attempts to recover a measure of joy amid the gloom. Jansons and his orchestra sustain this potent work's intensity throughout, confirming the Eighth as one of the composer's most important and fully realized works. The filler is an interesting rehearsal excerpt. An essential recording of an essential work. --Dan Davis
CD Reviews
A dream come true.
Andrea G. Pessino | Irvine, CA USA | 12/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a fanatical admirer of Shostakovich's, whom I consider the greatest composer of the 20th century, and amidst the Great Master's large production the 8th symphony towers as the supreme manifestation of his stunning genius.It is a work of incredible depth, intensity and emotional charge, a miracle of structural and developmental virtuosism and, most remarkably, a piece in which the composer's unique inspiration and musical personality are in unrestrained display, in defiance of critics and censors. This music connects emotionally in ways which transcend academic analysis; it goes straight to the listener's heart and holds it in a tight grip for the duration of the voyage. Listening to this piece is like opening a window into a world of horror and tragedy. If it were possible to compile a "music-to-English" dictionary then the 8th symphony's translation would be just one word: pain. Pain of the human race as well as the deep pain which only great artists dare to contemplate.I must admit I have become a little obsessed with Shostakovich's music, and the 8th symphony in particular. I have spent many, many hours studying its score, and I own nearly every recording of it ever made, from the great (Mravinsky/Leningrad, Litton/Dallas) to the adequate (Previn/London, Rostropovich/NSO, etc.) to the abysmal (Inbal/Wiener).I purchased this recording because, as stated, I simply had to have it, but I didn't hold much expectation given that I knew very little of the orchestra or the conductor, Mariss Jansons. From the first listening session I was stunned. This is, in my opinion, the single greatest rendition of this masterpiece EVER put on a recording medium.The playing of the orchestra is superb, the recording is exceptionally vivid and clear, but the real standout is the conducting. Jansons understands the material like no other performer ever has. (...) in my mind this performance far surpasses even Mravinsky's, if not for anything else simply because of the sheer energy that Jansons draws from the orchestra.This is a work which requires passion, strength and the ability to push the players to their absolute maximum without losing control or relaxing the emotional fabric of the music. There are moments in the symphony where it seems incredibly difficult NOT to give in to the temptation of accelerating the tempo, thereby thinning the texture and the sense of anticipation inherent in the writing. Jansons never relents, and as a result every arch in the languid string lines carries tremendous emotional energy. Take the 4th movement (Largo), with its tragic, passionate "lamentoso," where Jansons has the wonderful PSO strings shimmering above the dark, repetitive motion of the cellos and basses. It just does not get much better than this.There is a moment (rehearsal mark 86) in the third movement when the deep brass and low winds pick up the ostinato figure previously introduced by the violas which, in my opinion, is a perfect example of what makes this performance so outstanding. Jansons opens the movement with awesome power and relentless determination, and he dares the orchestra to sustain it all the way to its apocalyptic climax. At mark 86 the deep brass have to play fast, "marcatissimo" in their low register, a tremendously difficult task to accomplish with some clarity. In most performances conductors either slow down a bit, or they allow the brass to "lose it" to some extent, resulting in a muddy, unfocused sound and a definite loss of momentum. Jansons does not slow down, and the brass players demonstrate their virtuosism by delivering a precise and energetic performance. If their entrance does not get your blood rushing, you are probably dead.If the performance itself weren't enough the CD comes with an unexpected bonus: a selection of moments from Jansons' rehearsals with the orchestra. The CD is worth owning for this alone. Listening to the Maestro talk to the players is easy to understand how his enthusiasm and musicality can be contagious. Listening to this track will make you appreciate the music even more, and possibly it will encourage you to learn about its great composer.Overall, this Jansons/PSO performance of Shostakovich's 8th is nothing short of extraordinary. It is easily my pick for Recording of the Year for 2001. Do yourself a favor and purchase a copy for yourself. You will not be sorry.A big "Thank you!" to Maestro Jansons and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for delivering such a stunning rendition of Shostakovich's beloved masterpiece; your artistry and talent did not go unnoticed here!"
Jansons' Interpretation Thoroughly Successful
Dr. Christopher Coleman | HONG KONG | 11/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Shostakovich camp is deeply divided. There are those who view the composer as an artist deeply at odds with his government; whose public statements about his own works were merely the necessary evil which allowed him to continue to compose, but whose musical statements reveal the true horror of the Stalin regime. This viewpoint is supported by the book Testimony, the supposed "Memoir" of the composer, in which, for example, the ending of the fifth symphony is revealed not as triumphant, but as tragic. The opposing camp sees Shostakovich as a true Soviet artist, one who occasionally ran afoul of the censors, but who readily understood their views and accommodated himself willingly to them. They point to Testimony and claim it is the fraudulent work of its "editor" Solomon Volkov. The differences between these two viewpoints is not only political, but musical. The political debate, in fact, is in a sense moot, since Shostakovich and Stalin are no longer with us, and nor, for that matter, is the Soviet Union. What remains is the question of musical interpretation. Most problematic of his pieces are the Fifth and Eighth Symphonies, in which Shostakovich's public statements at the time are so at odds with what the music seems to express. These are tremendously important pieces that cannot be ignored by symphonic musicians today--the problem of interpretation must be addressed. Of his eighth symphony, Shostakovich said publicly that " It reflects my thoughts , feelings and elevated creative mood, which could not help being influenced by the joyful news of the Red Army's victories. My new work is an attempt to look into the future, to the post-war era...on the whole it is an optimistic, life-asserting work..." That passage from the first movement of his Eighth symphony surely does not seem life-asserting at all, and even though there are occasional moments of light in the piece, the whole seems to most listeners quite a dark and despairing piece. Certainly, in this performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons, the interpretation is convincingly based in this dark world, in which public words are spectres irrelevant to life. Jansons is himself intimately connected to the piece--he is from the Soviet Union, and was mentored by Yevgeny Mravinky, the conductor to whom Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony is dedicated. His interpretation, then, speaks with the force of moral authority and historic authenticity. Even the scherzo of this symphony is no joke, but begins and ends with a vision of relentless pursiut, punctuated by screams and violent blows.Jansons brings out the best of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. This is a live performance, and with a work this difficult and lengthy there are the rare but forgivable imperfections--the beginning of a trumpet note is not as stable as it should be, or a crescendo doesn't quite come to full fruition. But the tempos seem just right, intonation is admirable and the orchestra plays with full tone and precision. There are those who say that only a Russian orchestra can do justice to Shostakovich's music, but Pittsburgh proves them wrong. The CD has an interesting extra--extracts from a rehearsal, with commentary by the conductor. His remarks are primarily programmatic--he relates the music to statements against the dictatorship not only of Hitler, but also of Stalin, for example. Those who have never played in an orchestra may find this one of the highlights of the disc. Certainly Jansons' grotesque singing, as he guides the orchestra in understanding his interpretation, is astonishing."
OUTSTANDING!
LEC | Phoenix, AZ USA | 01/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The five previous customer reviewers offered lengthy discussions of Mariss Jansons and the PSO's latest CD of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8. Their reviews provide tons of information, critiques, and honest opinions for anyone trying to make up their minds regarding this CD. For the less expert classical music listeners and/or non-diehard Shostakovich listeners, I can admit to being a classical music fan who knows what I do or don't like to hear. Therefore, I will simply say this CD is STUNNING and I love listening to it.
Mr. Jansons and the PSO are marvelous together. Their work reveals the powerful emotions involved in this symphony and their CD leaves me wanting to learn more about Shostakovich's music and his world.
Congratulations to Mr. Jansons and the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for making this momentous piece a joy for the novice as well as the expert listener."
A short addition to the previous stellar reviews......
Timothy Mikolay | Pittsburgh, PA | 11/28/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The merits of this work and its readings have been lauded for decades and although the recording industry has produced some stunning colaborations on disc of this symphony, orchestras we don't hear from that much can make other ensembles' work take a back seat.I watched Jansons conduct the Oslo Philharmonic at Westminster College in Pennsylvania and quickly discovered a well known conducting but unknown orchestral tour de force. The Oslo Philharmonic?? Who are they?As with the Pittsburgh Symphony, an ensemble without the fame and glamour of it's rival in Philadelphia, but definitely in the same class as the Oslo, Pittsburgh's Shostakovich 8th far surpasses Philly's Shosty 10th with the same conductor.For some reason, Jansons is different here and better here than he was with the 10th. This 8th Symphony is gutsy, fearful and chock full of interpretive surprises. Additionally, the recorded sound, thanks to John Fraser and Arne Akselberg, is first class. Pittsburgh could have done away with half of Maazel's overblown discs of the 90's if it meant a recording like this could be made and Jansons has masterfully created a recording the Pittsburgh audience and Shostakovich fans can readily appreciate. One can only wonder how this orchestra sustained such musical prowess after making its first CD in four years. An extraordinary achievement!
Applause!! Applause!!!"
Very good performance and sound but no Mravinsky BBC
R. J. Claster | Van Nuys, CA United States | 04/23/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a very sensitive, intense and expressive performance graced by a very clear and detailed sounding recording. Furthermore, even though this is a live performance, the audience noise is minimal, in contrast to the assorted coughs and sneezes which occur throughout the Mravinsky 1960 stereo broadcast from England, available in very good sound from the BBC Legends label.
However, I must say that in spite of the considerable virtues of this release, I still find the BBC Mravinsky, which I have reviewed on this site, to be the reference recording for this work because it captures both Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic at the height of their considerable powers. More specifically, I hear more tonal richness, power and dynamic range from the Leningrad strings compared to this release, qualities that they were widely recognized as possessing in great measure under Mravinsky. Furthermore, Mravinsky imparts more of a feeling of brutal drive and power to the second and third movements. All and all, Mravinsky provides the more shattering experience, even though there are some details that come across more clearly on the Jansons recording, due to its drier and more close up perspective."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1