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Shostakovich: Symphonies 4, 5 & 6 - Gergiev

Shostakovich: Symphonies 4, 5 & 6 - Gergiev

Mariinsky  MAR0545 (2 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Orchestral


Shostakovich: Symphonies 4-6

Mariinsky Orchestra
Valery Gergiev


Valery Gergiev continues his acclaimed Shostakovich symphony cycle with his sixth release, a 2-SACD set of three consecutive symphonies: numbers Four, Five, and Six. Shostakovich symphonies are often emotionally powerful and the three symphonies performed here are a particularly compelling and riveting combination.

Without doubt, the tortuous difficulty of adhering to vaguely articulated political dictates shaped the evolution of Shostakovich’s music. Yet it is his sophisticated employment of musical codes that enabled him to maintain his creative integrity. There is no better illustration of his ability to tread a fine line between acclamation and condemnation with the skill of a tight-rope walker than the experience he faced during the 1930s, the period when he composed his Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies.

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Producer: James Mallinson
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Review by Graham Williams - May 28, 2014

This latest release of Valery Gergiev's on-going survey of the 15 Shostakovich symphonies for the Mariinsky label offers the 4th, 5th and 6th Symphonies as a double album – packaged in a standard CD case. These new recordings compete with the conductor's earlier versions of these three symphonies made for Philips (Universal) back in 2001-2002. Then the 4th Symphony Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 - Gergiev was a single issue while the 5th Symphony was coupled with the 9th Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 & 9 - Gergiev, (a work that has yet to appear in the current cycle). A further complication for those collectors happy with Gergiev's earlier performances is that only the 4th and 5th Symphonies ever appeared on SACD, so this new release is the only option for listeners who wish to hear his interpretation of the 6th on SACD.

All three works were composed during Stalin's Terror in the 1930s but only Symphonies 5 and 6 had their premières during that decade, as the composer wisely withdrew the radical 4th until a less politically dangerous time, and it had to wait until 1961 for its first public performance. Having them presented in this way as a package certainly highlights the composer's changes of style between the experimental and Mahlerian 4th and the enigmatic 6th of 1939.

The new recording of the 4th Symphony is in every respect finer than the earlier one. Gergiev's performance now seems more confident and purposeful, the playing more incisive and his orchestral seating with its antiphonally placed violins elicits much more audible detail from this gargantuan score. Unlike the other two works presented here this is not a live recording.

The deal breaker in this set is Gergiev's exciting and intense performance of the 5th Symphony. The conductor's approach to this score has always been quite straightforward with no attempt made, particularly in the finale, to stress real or imaginary political overtones in the music. His tempi in all four movements are only marginally faster than those on his earlier recording and he still adopts a rather idiosyncratic, but quite effective, ending to the scherzo. Unfortunately, in this live performance Gergiev increases the quantity of his signature groaning to an unacceptable level, something that will rule this recording out of court for many listeners. Try a couple of minutes into the first movement and the passage in the finale between 3.50 and 5.00 to judge its acceptability

The recording of the 6th Symphony is also live but thankfully the conductor's vocalisations are, for the most part, less intrusive. Gergiev propels the sombre and doom-laden first movement at a pace that skilfully maintains a sense of forward momentum as the many wind solos slowly unwind over long tremolando pedal-points, without short changing the music's overall hypnotic stillness. The two brief fast movements that follow are delivered with thrilling panache and considerable virtuosity by Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra both capturing the music's brashness and false jollity.

The up-front sound quality obtained by Vladimir Ryabenko, who is credited with the engineering, editing and mastering of the 5.0 multi channel recording, matches that of earlier issues in this series, and in all three works the power of the Mariinsky percussion section and weighty brass is captured magnificently.

With recordings of Shostakovich symphonies, even on SACD, reaching saturation point collectors have a bewildering choice of versions to suit all tastes. My caveat regarding the 5th Symphony notwithstanding, those collecting this current cycle are unlikely to be disappointed with these idiomatic and searching performances.

Recommended.

Copyright © 2014 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

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Comment by Waveform - February 8, 2016 (1 of 1)

A great disappointment.
The multichannel sound was awful: no reverb from the rears, too loud bass side and harsh sound of [the] cymbals.
Gergiev's middle-on-road performances weren't very impressive, unfortunately.

I recommended PENTATONE if you want to buy a multichannel Super Audio CD of these symphonies (except for 4th).

Not recommended at all.

• Performance: ***
• Sonics: *** (Multichannel)