The piece you mention is nicely done by Marriner/ASMF, Ogdon -pf, Wilbraham -tpt on Argo/Decca
Other nice performances in good sonics:
Pf Trio 1 and 2, Oslo Trio, Simax
String Quartet No. 8, Borodin Qt, Decca
String Quartets, Fitzwilliam Qt, Decca (L'Oiseau Lyre)
Sym 1, Martinon/LSO, RCA (recorded and possibly re-released by Decca)
Sym 5, 6, 7 and 11, Berglund/BournemouthSO, EMI
Sym 10, Karajan/BerlinPO, DGG - ONLY the early 1960s performance
The Age of Gold (Ballet Suite), Martinon/LSO, RCA (recorded and possibly re-released by Decca)
Festive Overture, Ancerl/CzechPO, Supraphon
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I am a fan of his 24 preludes and fugues by Gilels, his architecture is amazing, he never did a complete set but you can often find a few here and there.
the same goes for Richter. Amazingly they seemed to prefer to do ones the other didn't. Between them they almost have a complete set. |
The Kitajenko boxed set on Capriccio are pretty good accounts of the symphonies and are very good sounding SACDs. I also have the Barshai boxed set on Brilliant and the Mariss Jansons boxed set on EMI. All 3 sets are winners, but the Capriccio wins hands down on sound quality.
The quartets are special! On a par with the quartets of Beethoven, in my humble opinion. The Fitzwilliam mentioned above is good. I suggest you give the St. Lawrence 3,7, &8 on EMI a try. I think they have the spirit of these works right. It is not polite. It is not comfortable. It is the music of a man tormented by Stalin. Also check out the Fitzwilliam/Ashkenazy piano quintet (Decca), and the piano trio #2 (Ma, Axe, and Stern) if you can find it. |
Shostakovich is most famous for his symphonies. The best known/most popular are the 5th, 1st, 7th, 8th, and 13th. He wrote 15, and all are worth hearing.
If you want to listen to one of the funniest operas ever composed, check out Shostakovich's The Nose, based on a hilarious short story of Gogol's. |
There is a great new recording of The Nose on Mariinsky SACDs conducted by Gergiev.
Kal |
His 5th, 7th, and 9th are the most performed, w/the 10th's second movement being one of the most intense second movements of all time IMO. The 7th (Leningrad) is wonderfully brooding, w/the 5th and 9th being more upbeat (in the Russian sense). There is a great recording on Telarc of the Atlanta Symphony of the 5th and 9th w/awesome sonics. |
I love Shostakovich,but only play the symphonies when my wife is away.From the music perspective I prefer Mariss Janson conducting to all the others.Sound quality is not always perfect.I strongly recommend the violin and Cello concertos and the 11th symphony.I have over 150 cds of this composer.However to truly appreciate the orchestral music at home you need large speakers in a large room. |
Try Janson's BluRay of "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" on Opus Arte. It is all powerful and fascinating but you will get a kick out of the close-up of Jansons' glee and animation conducting the raucous intr'acte!
Kal |
Shostakovich is my favorite composer. His symphonies are treasures. They take the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride and they make you think about what he is "saying. Without any question IMHO, no one "gets" Shostakovich like Ashkenazy. He just understands where the music is going and how to get it there. Thankfully, his recordings with different orchestras are very well recorded. If you have trouble finding some of his symphonies by Ashkenazy, then try Bernstein.
I am glad you found Shostakovich. A very conflicted man of unparalleled skill at orchestration. |
Of course, I meant to mention the 10th symphony as well, as that is considered to be the best piece he ever wrote, and was also his own personal favorite. A must listen, for sure. |
Don't forget the chamber works as well -- quartets, sonata for viola and piano, and piano trios. My favorite Shostakovich piece is the Piano Trio No. 2, particularly the Beaux Arts Trio version. |
I also like the Kitajenko set of symphonies as well as the Haitink set.
FWIW, as a recommendation for an excellent recording, as well as two symphonies that don't attract much attention, I recommend Jesus Lopez-Cobos' performance of the 1st and 15th Symphonies on Telarc. Shostakovich's first and last.
But for some 'easy listening' I really enjoy 1)Five Ballet Suites by Jarvi on Chandos, 2) Jazz Music (ala Shostakovich) as well as his 1st Piano Concerto, by Chailly on London, and 3)The Dance Album by Chailly on London. I have also enjoyed "The Limpid Stream" by Gennady Rozhdestvensky on Chandos. |
thanks for all the excellent suggestions |
Try the Hanssler Classics recording Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues performed by Jenny Lin. It's a 2009 recording. performance and recording are a cut above. |
This is a great thread.
A couple years ago I began to appreciate classical music so I am quite the novice. I searched through many of the more famous composers and after many trials discovered my connection with Shostakovitch. He has since become my favorite. I have many different recordings but I really like the complete symphonies by the Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi on Chandos. There are also his concertos on Chandos. Recordings are outstanding too. Ironically, the cover artwork is also some of my favorite ever.
As mentioned, I am a novice so take this for what its worth. I have no idea if these are popular recordings of his work or not but I love them. For his piano works, I like the complete works by Boris Petrushansky on Stradivarius. |
