Search - Various :: Shostakovich Symphony No.11

One of the best

Walter Brooks Jr. | Federal Way, Wa. 98023-8210 | 12/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one the great recordings of Shostakovitch's "1905" Symphony. The orchestra and conductor were really able to bring out the full drama of a complex and difficult work. Complex because of its double meanings and wide ranging dynamics. The latter is a real tribute to the recording director. It is clear that the conductor really studied this piece and its history as well as Shostakovitch's intentions. With this recording Maestro Schwarz has catapulted himself and his orchestra into the highest ranks of the musical world. The only recording that is close is the 2nd edition of the Stokowski - Houston Symphony DVD recordings. This recording in 1958 is the US premier at a time when Shostakovitch was viewed as a Communist lackey. The Rostropovitch - National Symphony DVD is an entirely different approach derived from the conductor's personal relationship to the composer. Slava had promised Shostakovitch to record all of his works, a still incomplete endeavor.You can not go wrong with the Seattle Symphony recording. One other point, this symphony is my favorite piece of music, just in case you can not tell."

A fresh vibration of air on jaded eardrums... (a review for

skiggety | Hudson, MA United States | 12/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...That may seem like an odd thing to say about a piece written over half a century ago, but I think it will ring true for many who have not been previously exposed to Shostakovich's work.



(NOTE: the following review addresses this composition more than its recording.)



The jadedness of my ears can be attributed to many years of listening to jazz, metal, and progressive rock in addition to classical music. Here are a few reasons why this piece stands out among all of this as particularly interesting and enjoyable:



-Shostakovitch was capable of rejecting major tenents of western music (like _tonality_), but exercised this skill judiciously instead of going off the deep end.



-In this piece, the listener will find bold, unapolegetic use of dissonance. Any seasoned blues or jazz musician understands, as Shostakovich must have, that dissonance is a make-it-or-break-it proposition--used weakly, it underscores blandness, but when used forcefully it will transform a nice piece of music into something compelling.



-When thought of as a somewhat literal telling of a 1905 rebellion and massacre, this piece stands up as a fine example of music playing the role of a language--it is both communicative and lyrical. However, when dissassociated from the events that it chronicles, this piece becomes a stunning tour de force of different styles and moods, while never quite managing to lose that delicious, deep, dark flavor that one may come to expect from Shostakovich.



-The tonal pallettes of the instruments in this recording are well-utilized. I believe that this is a result of the composer and performers alike. When listening to this recording, I found myself frequently enjoying the way instruments made use of their range, and often produced timbres that were delightfully eyebrow-raising.



-This music is somewhat approachable for a wide array of listeners, while still proving to be a nice challenge for the ears. I have witnessed people with little or no interest in classical music enjoying this CD--to them, it seemed like an engaging film score (Shostakovich was also a fairly prolific film composer, incedentally).



This is an excellent recording of a piece that embodies many of the best things that the 20th century did to classical music. It has a lot to offer, for most anyone who takes a real interest in music--whether you normally enjoy classical music or not."