Shostakovich - Symphony 10 [Shostakovich-London Symphony Orchestra]
Shostakovich conducted by Shostakovich!, well not quite, this is his son, so i suppose he has some insights from his Father, a front row seat on his life, of course just born into the family doesn't mean that you're any good, my introduction to Shostakovich was his Fifth Symphony [Bychkov / Philips], but the next Symphony i heard was his Tenth [Karajan / DG], and i guess it's creeping in to be my favourite, i actually 'only' have five Shostakovich Tenth's in my collection, Karajan sits head and shoulders above everyone else, and this is actually quite a new-ish recording of mine, featured in my Blog three years ago [21st June 2012], and this is only it's third playing, yes it takes time to really rack up some listens on every disc i own, my 'impression' is a little bit restrained, i like my Shostakovich angry!, brass and percussion in yer face, but i still think this is a lovely reading, and even though i've heard this Symphony roughly sixty times, i'm still surprised how much i don't know it!.
Maxim Shostakovich is Russian, he's now 77, this was recorded back in 1990, i like the front cover, not entirely sure what it's meant to mean, red paint on glass or something, i'm sure it's not meant to be a map, i like the lettering, like embossed in metal, the back inlay portrait is excellent [by Hanla Chlala].
On this listen, the short Scherzo Allegro really caught my ears, after the mammoth first movement [27 minutes], this second movement can seem a little blip compared to its older brother, roughly six times the size, but this scherzo really packs a punch, it's an angry little thing, jagged string rhythms, wheedling woodwinds, military side drumming, i love the way the music explodes into brass stabbings [0:48-1:22], with frantic woodwind whistling all over the place in the background, and percussion galore, there's also the odd xylophone hit here and there, love the way Shostakovich makes these loud brass 'hits' [1:25 / 1:33 / 1:38 / 1:50], high woodwind going berserk, low woodwind muttering away in the background, there's just so much going on!, it's hard to keep up with all of it, it's a real Mussorgsky Goldenberg & Schmuyle moment, one whining away, the other muttering, a real 'argument', between opposite ends of the spectrum, crashes of cymbals [2:32 / 2:35], and terrifying brass [2:38+] punctuation by loud bass drums [3:17 / 3:24 / 3:28], piccolos and military side drum [4:01-4:04], and the brass have the last laugh at the end!, wow it's really quite breathtaking.
Here's Dudamel conducting the Scherzo on YouTube.
Maxim Shostakovich is Russian, he's now 77, this was recorded back in 1990, i like the front cover, not entirely sure what it's meant to mean, red paint on glass or something, i'm sure it's not meant to be a map, i like the lettering, like embossed in metal, the back inlay portrait is excellent [by Hanla Chlala].
On this listen, the short Scherzo Allegro really caught my ears, after the mammoth first movement [27 minutes], this second movement can seem a little blip compared to its older brother, roughly six times the size, but this scherzo really packs a punch, it's an angry little thing, jagged string rhythms, wheedling woodwinds, military side drumming, i love the way the music explodes into brass stabbings [0:48-1:22], with frantic woodwind whistling all over the place in the background, and percussion galore, there's also the odd xylophone hit here and there, love the way Shostakovich makes these loud brass 'hits' [1:25 / 1:33 / 1:38 / 1:50], high woodwind going berserk, low woodwind muttering away in the background, there's just so much going on!, it's hard to keep up with all of it, it's a real Mussorgsky Goldenberg & Schmuyle moment, one whining away, the other muttering, a real 'argument', between opposite ends of the spectrum, crashes of cymbals [2:32 / 2:35], and terrifying brass [2:38+] punctuation by loud bass drums [3:17 / 3:24 / 3:28], piccolos and military side drum [4:01-4:04], and the brass have the last laugh at the end!, wow it's really quite breathtaking.
Here's Dudamel conducting the Scherzo on YouTube.
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