Beethoven - Symphony 7 [Bruggen-Orchestra Of The Eighteenth Century]

Here's a disc that i acquired recently, and giving it its first spin, it's a historically informed reading, on period instruments, and that means that the string tone can sound rather thin and sinewy, instead of warm and full, but it also reveals the brass / woodwind / percussion more, it takes some getting used to, but it's also good to hear something in a fresh way, and these are good performances.

Frans Bruggen was Dutch [1934-2014], i didn't know he had died, he was 80, he recorded this disc in 1988, the front cover shows nine individual shots [by Fernando Van Teylingen], of members of the orchestra and Bruggen, nicely laid out, and the lettering inbetween is excellent.

On this listen it was the wonderful first movement that i was most impressed by, it's in the key of A Major, like i said it's a period performance, and a live recording too, the recording is bright, so fortes can sound a bit harsh, but also really quite alive, Bruggen doesn't wallow in warmth and tone, but rather brings out more of the rhythms in Beethoven, the timpani is hard and loud, and it gives you a good idea how Beethoven must have heard it on its first performance, there's a long Poco Sostenuto introduction, and there's this flute bridge to the Vivace [4:19-4:46], and then the whole thing explodes [4:46+ & 7:11+], full of  brass and timpani, it's a lovely cacophony of sound, it's good to hear the 'incessantness' of this movement, it keeps moving forward, i think Bruggen uses the exposition repeat, of course this makes it nearly 15 minutes long, near the end Beethoven has a sort of respite, where he lets the woodwind have some nice pleasant sweet things to say [11:32-12:02], at the end the brass really make themselves heard [14:09-14:45], a real triumph.

Here's Bruggen playing this Symphony on YouTube.

Dvorak - Symphony 9 'From The New World' [Jansons-Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]

Another lovely clear recording, this is my equal favourite version of Dvorak's Ninth, along with Jarvi on Chandos, in fact Jansons made another disc on EMI of the same work, this time with the Oslo Philharmonic, which is also in my Blog [1st November 2012], they're both worth getting to know, this disc doesn't have a great deal of music on it, just over forty minutes, but it is a SACD disc, and it's superbly presented.

Mariss Jansons is Latvian, he's now 72, and he made this recording in 2003, the front booklet cover is absolutely brilliant, now i like colours, and so of course this is right up my street, showing what seem to be fishing flies, but they can't be, it shows very colourful insects and birds, with yellow feathers, whatever it is they look great, and the lettering in white, with orange and maroon bands is great also, it's a tremendously great visual product

It was the middle movements that were the best, i would like to talk about something other than the famous second movement Largo, but it's cast its magical spell over me, it was a terrific musical statement, full of the most sublime music, and who cannot be enchanted by that cor anglais!, of course it's a Largo, meaning Broadly, like a slow meandering river, after the horns begin the piece, it doesn't take long for Dvorak to introduce the cor anglais and his genius of a tune [0:41-2:10], it's very much a plaintive refrain, a sad weeping, the strings take up the same tune, and really caress it in a sublime way [2:40-3:36], but in a lot of ways it's like the slow movement of a Cor Anglais Concerto, and the main character / melody reappears [3:35+], there's a middle section, and Dvorak changes tack, and this is mainly reserved for the flutes [4:36-5:58], another sad song, but a bit faster, i like the way some of the woodwind join in to make a gentle chorus, and like in the first section the strings take over this melody, giving it a different variation [5:58-7:57], with the same flutes / woodwind in the background, and even a variation on the lower strings, and then it bursts into a sort of birdsong on the woodwinds [7:57-8:22], sort of reminiscent of a Dvorak's Slavonic Dance, of course the movement wouldn't be complete without a return to the opening cor anglais theme [8:50+], and the lower strings create a hesitant version of this theme [9:18-10:07], a real piece of nostalgic beauty, i like Jansons interpretation, in lovely sound, and the audience are so quiet!.

Here's Jansons conducting the Symphony on YouTube, the work starts at 3:20, and the Largo starts at 14:10.

Bruckner - Symphony 4 'Romantic' [Wand-Kolner Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester]

This is a lovely recording, i really rate Wand in Bruckner, it was his forte, i have eight recordings of the Bruckner 4, and this is my second favourite behind Barenboim / Teldec, it's probably Bruckner's most accessible Symphony, though my favourite is the Eighth, this is the third time this disc has appeared in my Blog [6th February 2010 & 2nd June 2012].

Gunter Wand was German [1912-2002], he recorded this disc in 1976, the front cover picture is beautiful, the sun glistening on a golden river / lake, a line of trees in the distance, the sun out of shot, but it's those wonderful colours, plus a box for the lettering, on a jet black background, and the red EMI logo at the bottom, now that's a great finished product!.

Well on this listen the whole of the Symphony was equally satisfying, i love all these movements, however it was the fourth movement which gives the final seal on the piece, here it's the longest movement at over twenty minutes, Bruckner's penchant for horns is at the fore, it's a gradual build up to one of his brass fanfares [1:13-1:38], a hallmark of Bruckner, and his penchant also for these releases of brass energy [2:19-2:34], i love the strings when they get going in a strong melody [4:48-4:59], Bruckner can really get those brass instruments angry [5:29-6:24], busily trying to outdo each other in volume, halfway through there's this serenade on the strings, it really gets going as a bright spot of happiness in the movement [9:39-10:55], until the angry brass have a field day again [10:55+], but it turns into something more majestic [11:45-12:14], the fanfares erupt into something much more noble than angry sound, the brass later rises higher and higher in their desire to reach a fantastic climax [13:56-14:47], but stops nowhere without any conclusion, the strings propel themselves onward with a real thrust, about three minutes before the end there's a change in the mood [17:14+], signalling the whole Symphony is wrapping up, there's this expectation on shimmering low strings [17:52+] with quiet woodwind and horns, you know it's building up to something truly revelatory and final, and bursts into joy for the last twenty seconds [19:59+], i guess i've listened to this work roughly seventy times, and yet i'm still learning new things about it.

Here's Calleya conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Jochum-Concertgebouw Orchestra]

Die Funften!, The Fifths, the Symphony and the Piano Concerto, and what a combination, it's a wonder that this coupling isn't more common, the last time i played this disc, the Piano Concerto was a revelation, Kovacevich is a genius in that work, but this time i loved the symphony the best, Jochum isn't a favourite conductor of mine, and i don't have many discs of his, but this is a lovely addition to my collection, i found this disc on Ebay, never knew it existed before, as it's probably a German issue, but i'm glad i acquired it.  

Eugen Jochum was German [1902-1987], i think this was recorded in 1969, the booklet cover is great, showing a bust of Beethoven, some fantastic light coming in from the left, making some nice contour shadows on his face, the background has nice shades of grey, it was inspirational to call it 'Die Funften', celebrating these two wonderful works, the whole thing looks great.

Well this time i enjoyed the second movement from Jochum, not one i usually find a favourite, but here it just sounds so exciting, the Fifth doesn't have an Adagio, so we get an Andante instead, after a subdued start, we get the full force of the theme in the military brass [1:19-1:39], and repeated again a little later [3:25-3:48], there's this march theme throughout, at times it can be subdued, and other time it can be robust, i like these forte passages, and one appears in the strings [7:46-8:10], and right after there's a delicate echo by the woodwind [8:10-8:21], for the beginning of the coda, there's a lovely bassoon rhythm [8:37-8:50], and some of the best music is at the close, again the sweet strings make some melancholy music [9:15-9:38], it's a movement that can easily be 'forgotten', sandwich between some of the most glorious music Beethoven ever wrote.

Here's Pletnev conducting the second movement on YouTube.

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.

Vaughan Williams - Symphony 5 [Norrington-London Philharmonic Orchestra]

This disc is from the new-ish Virtuoso series, from the back catalogue of Decca and DG, on Amazon you can get some of these discs for a snip, some of them are very desirable indeed, this is one of the best, on the cover it gives the impression that this Fifth is by Marriner, the rest of the pieces are, but this one's from Norrington, this is only the second time i've played it, and i like it a lot already.

Roger Norrington is English, amazingly he's now 81, he recorded this in 1998, now the front cover is a marvellous shot, of a countryside swamped in mist, with layers of background trees, sunlight streaming through, all very grey / brown, it's such a nice shot, and goes well with the music on the disc.

The third movement Romanza is the spiritual centre of the work, and it's certainly my favourite movement, one of Vaughan Williams greatest creations, but on this listen i actually liked the first movement the best, Vaughan Williams calls it 'Preludio', it's a sweet yet sad refrain, high violins set the mood, against a backdrop of rumbling basses [0:00-3:27], no wonder it's called a 'preludio', it sounds like a perpetual prelude, forever about to move into into the main movement at any moment, only when the music changes tack / key [3:27+] do you realise that this is it!, those sweet high violins stay as the main stars throughout, roughly at the six minute mark there's a central section where the woodwind develop some strong / important playing, and with busy and furious strings [6:55+], the whole thing comes to a forte peak, before dying away and the opening starts again, there's this tremendously passionate section, where Vaughan Williams brings all the themes together in a powerful strong statement [8:38-9:51], the music dies away with the voices from the horns, it's a tremendous movement that can be overshadowed by the music to come, as i said it's only the second time i've listened to Norrington's reading, so it will take some more time to really reach an opinion.

Here's Andrew Manze conducting this Symphony on YouTube.

Schubert - Symphony 8 'Unfinished' [Davis-Boston Symphony Orchestra]

Here's a disc that is fairly new in my collection, this is only its second outing, it's definitely Schubert, but at the same time sounds so different to his next Symphony, darker and sombre, and generally a feel of unease, but i love the work, the Ninth / The Great has been my favourite Symphony of Schubert, but now the Unfinished is now vying for that honour, they're more equals than ever before, i really enjoyed playing this today.

Colin Davis is English, he died a couple of years ago at age 85, this disc came out in 1984, the front cover shows Davis conducting, the picture is not very sharp, but it has a wonderful sense of lighting from above, and the black background make things stand out, the lettering is in white and light blue and light green, it's all well proportioned.

I love both of these movements, but it's the second that just edges it, it's an Andante in the key of E Major, and it certainly throws off the dark clouds of the first movement, and yet there's still this underlying sense of sadness there, the strings quietly sing out their sad refrain, it really is beautiful and innocent, however Schubert heightens the drama by playing a sort of funeral tread of the beat louder [1:13+], with the darker strings emphatically making their presence known, a trio section comes up next [2:29+], and solo woodwind instruments rule here, first the clarinet [2:29-3:07], and then what sounds like the cor anglais [3:10+], mixed in with other instruments, this section is a gorgeous idea by Schubert, but the loud funeral tread comes back in with a menace [3:36+], louder than ever, think Bydlo here from Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, there's a lumbering gait to the whole thing, but it's constantly interspersed with quiet moments of beauty, the opening returns [5:18+], and it's so good that everything's repeated, plus the trio section comes back with the oboe it sounds [7:47-8:26], and the clarinet afterwards, the menacing loud music returns in force [8:54+], but it's the nostalgic stuff that finally wins the day, there's a sort of one minute coda at the end, and even though that's not how Schubert planned to end the work, for me it is a fitting end, the opening bars of the planned third movement you can hear on YouTube, but they're so out of the spirit of the work, maybe that's why Schubert gave up on it!, in its truncated form it sounds 'complete'.

Here's Muti conducting the second movement on YouTube.

Mahler - Symphony 5 [Ka Lok- Russian Philharmonic Orchestra]

This is a new disc that i bought on Ebay, Mahler's Fifth is my favourite Symphony by him, so i'm always on the lookout for a disc that might complement my collection, this was unknown to me, so i took a risk, it looks like it's a Hong Kong based company, i guess the jury's out on this disc at the moment, but i will certainly want to hear it again.

Mak Ka Lok is from Hong Kong, this disc was recorded way back in 1993, so it's certainly not recent, the front cover shows Ka Lok in a wood of birch trees i think, lots of leaves on the ground, and there's a lovely side lighting, the box with the lettering is opaque, showing the photograph underneath, and the Hugo logo gives a nice splash of red colour.

Well this was a very even Symphony, no real movement stood out from any other, i must admit that it's a fairly reverberant acoustic, the orchestra sound a little set back, but there's certainly a nice bloom in the bass, and maybe that can be a problem somewhat, it's a bass heavy recording, the brass gets mixed in the background somewhat, you can't hear individual voices all that well, i'm playing it on my portable player, and i've got it playing at full volume, and yet still want a tad more, and maybe some treble to balance things out, it's still a nice recording though, it's good to hear the harp clearly in the fourth movement Adagietto, and if i have to pick a movement, it would be the second movement, it's full of brass, almost a 'Concerto for Brass', and here i admit that even though the brass / percussion is menacing enough [0:00-0:33], there's something missing somehow, there's dull thuds instead of cymbals crashing and dying slowly, certainly not a front row seat, yes it's obvious that everything is just a bit too far away, i like the sound of the timpani though, nice bass rumblings here, timewise compared to my favourite two versions, it's a midway reading

Christoph Von Dohnanyi = 12:54

Mak Ka Lok = 13:58

Riccardo Chailly = 14:58

with each one minute apart, and yet Ka Lok sounds like he lets things drag somewhat, a good sound can make things sound more thrilling and tighter, there's certainly good things here, especially in fortissimos, the trumpets reach a nice crescendo [7:56-8:07], and a little later the high woodwind scream out [8:35-8:42], with the upper brass pleading a shade later, a nice moment, the great climax / resolution near the end is done very well [11:19-12:31], it's probably my favourite moment in the Symphony, and at the end of this moment the music quietens down to hear the sorrowful horns nicely, a nice blaze of brass is well caught [13:01+], Ka Lok doesn't lack any passion, it's just that it would be nice to be 'amongst the orchestra' instead of 'in a seat at the back'!, the 'inner voicings' are a real key to a successful performance.

Here's Gergiev conducting this movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Bohm-Wiener Philharmoniker]

I bought this disc back in 2012, from someone in Taiwan i think, this disc isn't available in England and has no barcode, but there's some tremendous discs re-released in the Far East that look so good, i paid a fair price for this, it didn't come cheap, but i worried that it would be a badly recorded live recording or something, as it turns out it's a superb recording, surprisingly very good for 1970 & 1972, but even more important is Bohm's interpretation, music where he lets Beethoven speak, not overdriven and in your face, there's a feel of classic 'this is how it should be done' about it, a great interpretation, this appeared in my Blog a couple of years ago [6th March 2013].

Karl Bohm was Austrian, [1894-1981], this work was recorded in 1970, this Japanese re-packaging is tremendous, the front cover photo is stunningly superb, a crystal clear shot of the Musikverein in Vienna, incandescently lit by those chandeliers, it gives it a tremendous glow, one of the best booklet front covers i know, but the music on the inside is even better!.

Both of these Symphonies are excellently played here, the Fourth is the best version i've ever heard, and the Fifth isn't that far behind, and it was the first movement of the Fifth that i really enjoyed the most, i played this disc while travelling to Reading on the bus, i had it on full volume, and it's slightly recorded low, not the greatest place to play a work when you want a tad more volume, the very opening can seem subdued, i have a recording where Ashkenazy really gets some dynamite out of the opening motif, and Bohm can sound just a bit too laid back in comparison, but there's an architectural long term payback to his approach, it works in the longer scheme of things, it really does sound like what Beethoven wanted, and listening to it now without bus engine distraction, it really does sound menacing enough, well what can i say about Beethoven's revolutionary opening?, it's so profound, it must have stunned audiences hearing it for the first time, Bohm brings out the architecture of the piece so well, one jigsaw piece fits so perfectly into the next, he's not someone who uses short term devices to make a point, but everything seems to be played for long term benefit, the sound really is incredibly good considering the age, plus i can still here individual instruments in the mix, especially the woodwind, a fantastic achievement all round.

Here's Bohm conducting the Fifth on YouTube.

Tchaikovsky - Symphony 6 'Pathetique' [Ashkenazy-Philharmonia Orchestra]

This is the third time i've listened to this disc, the first time was a revelation!, it became my 'disc of the month' in February 2014, this wasn't its equal, but it was still an excellent experience, plus it's so good to have the Elegie For Strings on the disc, it's a lovely piece of music that was otherwise unknown to me.

Vladimir Ashkenazy is Russian, he's now 77, he has extensively recorded most of the main repertoire, orchestral, chamber, and solo, he recorded this work in 1981, this issue comes from the 'virtuoso' series, an excellent re-issue of discs, with a large 'v' covering a third of the booklet, but a lovely snow filled Russian scene, it's a shame as there's no photographer mentioned, or where it's shot, at first it looks like a painting, but really it's a superb photograph, snow covered trees in the foreground, with the Church domes in the background, very much a grey scene, but it's crisp sharp and gorgeous.

On this listen it was the glorious first movement that i just loved, on this recording just over 19 minutes, it's in B Minor, and shares its key with Schubert's Eighth Symphony, so both works have turmoil and sadness, the start is full of deep basses, a lone bassoon creates a sense of melancholy [0:00-1:17], powerful stuff indeed, different instruments come in one by one, there's a skittish anxiety about the whole thing, when the trumpets come in [3:35+], it's almost developed a fanfare type of worry to it, but then a lovely magic happens, the strings send in a sad yet sweet melody [4:34+], gentle at first, but more passionate later, i love the way the flute / woodwinds play on this melody [5:47+], and i guess the strings full on [7:24-9:12] create what could be referred to as the 'pathetique' theme, the music winds its way down to nothing, but there's this frightening smash to wake the dead [9:58], lots of drums here, and then the whole frantic Allegro comes in, it's full of anger and agitation, the brass work has some really good work in places [12:20+ & 12:52+], plus the strings play their hearts out [12:38+], there's rolling thunder [13:16], and a real sense of ominousness, the piece seems to come to a shattering end [14:32-14:50], all drums and low brass, but out of the silence comes the sad / sweet pathetique theme [14:58+], and develops into a heady passion [15:41+], and i guess then comes a sweeter and gentle sort of coda of sorts, i love the way Tchaikovsky ends the movement, with a slow grind towards the finish line, pizzicato plodding strings [17:47-19:57], with the brass and woodwind giving some sort of epilogue to the whole thing, it's almost a 'symphony within a symphony', one of the greatest Tchaikovsky creations, and i love Ashkenazy's interpretation of it.

Here's Gergiev conducting the first movement on YouTube.

Shostakovich - Symphony 5 [Jansons-Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra]

I only played Shostakovich's Fifth a few days ago with Rostropovich, but it's good to play the thing again quickly, it actually helps me to get some sort of comparison going, and helps me to see the pros and cons of each performance, as well as more importantly, because i deeply analysed the Largo with Rostropovich, i listened more intently to the same sections here which moved me there, it made it a deeper experience, as a general feeling, i like Jansons better, can't quite put my finger on it, maybe it's because i've listened to this disc more, also every time i listen to a work, i realise how much i don't know it also, Jansons and Rostropovich have both been very enlightening, this has been a great experience, see also [19th June 2012].

Mariss Jansons is Latvian, he's now 72, he recorded this disc way back in 1987, from the front booklet cover he looks so young, and it's a great portrait [by Jan Greve], the lettering in blue and white, nicely placed, and the red EMI logo beneath is nice and symmetrical.

Well i envisioned that because of listening to Rostropovich a few days ago, i would examine the Largo even more closely, and report on my feelings of Jansons interpretation of the same, however it was the opening first movement Moderato that impressed me the most, i guess it's my favourite movement of the four, it's a fantastic statement, plus it's in D Minor, my favourite key, the Symphony has a long opening theme [0:00-3:40], at first it sounds like a String Symphony, powered by the violins, woodwind / brass used sparingly, quite a dirge of sourness, it slowly builds up in power, later it quietens down and seems to bumble along in its desperation, until out of nowhere the piano comes in! [6:22-7:00], and produces this march like rhythm, along with the low brass [Tubas?], and then the higher brass, the whole thing is transformed into something beyond its opening Moderato beginnings, it gets more and more agitated, the strings are swirling all over the place, especially the brass i like here [7:28 & 7:47], and i love the way it explodes into a military march [8:20-8:45], all stabbing brass and side drums, it comes to a head, xylophone and drums [9:47+], tam tam [10:39], but then it quietens down to a flute serenade [11:07-11:41], gentle glockenspiel moments with woodwind, it's a phenomenal creation, Shostakovich ends the thing with mystery, those ghostly flutes have a wonderful effect [12:44+], a solo violin, quiet brass, and that glockenspiel has the last says [13:43-13:56], the second half is so much more interesting than the first, what an incredible transforming power music has!.

Here's Jansons conducting the Fifth on YouTube.

Various Composers - Scottish Overtures [Gibson-Scottish National Orchestra]

Here's a clever little recital of lesser known works, all around a Scottish theme, it's a nice disc to own as it hardly duplicates much in your collection, shame that it only has fifty minutes of music though, a couple more Overtures wouldn't have gone amiss, i enjoyed all of the music on this disc, appeared in my Blog over four years ago [8th January 2011].

This disc was recorded in 1981, an early Chandos release, and the front cover photograph [by Derek Forss] shows two red highland cows on the Isle Of Skye, the lettering is skillfully placed, and the different fonts and symmetry of it all is really pleasing to the eye.

Well on this listen i enjoyed so many things, it was good to hear the Berlioz / Waverley Overture again, not something i'm greatly familiar with, and i want to get to know it better, also Arnold's Tam O'Shanter is a riot of cacophony at times, sounds like he had fun composing that one, but the best piece was Mendelssohn / Hebrides Overture, and probably the best known / popular on this disc also, i haven't heard it for a while, i got to know it early in my love for Classical music, and it's such a wonderful piece, it's so good to hear it again today,

Here's my feeling on the Mendelssohn / Hebrides Overture, it has a rise and fall motif on lower strings at the beginning, complemented by the same motif on the violins, inspired by a visit to Fingal's cave, it's a cave which is flooded on the floor, but is a huge cathedral like structure, and has excellent acoustics, you can feel the vastness of the ocean on the Hebridean coast, and it's solitariness also, the Overture is full of romantic sweeps, of course the music has angry episodes too [3:03-3:41], where the brass come to the fore, there's a march like central episode [5:46+], which builds up into some excellent string work [6:18+], but the opening motif is never far away, towards the end the music becomes nostalgic, the clarinet has a lovely solo [7:41-8:26], before the frenzy of the whole thing takes off [8:42+], furiously driven strings, and resplendent brass, and right at the end the open motif is played gently by woodwind / flutes [9:59-10:10].

Here's Gardiner conducting this Overture on YouTube.

Shostakovich - Symphony 5 [Rostropovich-National Symphony Orchestra Of Washington DC]

Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony must be the one i've listened to the most, over all his other Symphonies, it was also the first one i was ever exposed to [Bychkov / Philips], and almost immediately i fell in love with it, however i haven't got a lot of recordings of it, only four, and i guess it's a bit neglected recently, i enjoyed this reading very much, but in retrospect i got so much into the music that i can't exactly put my finger on how this performance is different from the others, i need to listen to this disc more.

Mstislav Rostropovich died in 2007, eight years ago almost to the day, he recorded this disc in 1983 i think, the front cover shows Rostropovich conducting the Symphony [by Christian Steiner], sheet music fanned out in his direction, only about 45 minutes of music on this disc, shame that another Symphony wasn't added, or some Overture or something.

I so much enjoyed the whole of this Symphony, but it's the third movement Largo that really got to me, there's a real spirituality there, deep down it's a sad elegy almost, at first sounds like a study on strings, as Shostakovich uses no brass in this movement, and woodwinds sparingly, but changes to use of a harp and flute duet [2:34-3:12], and slowly it builds up in volume and more anger, but there remains this constant sadness which returns again and again , there's this complex quiet playing on the violas [4:56+], and accompanied by the oboe [5:10-5:46], it's like another elegy duet, with shimmering violins as a backdrop, individual woodwinds come in and out to have their say, and just two quiet twinkles on the glockenspiel [7:07 & 7:11], can change the whole mood of the moment, Shostakovich had that ability, the music swells in agitation, and also includes the piano playing tremolo [8:16-8:48], with the xylophone playing high treble in the background, Shostakovich really knows how to employ strange instruments against each other and for each other, but that sadness sort of intensifies, you expect some sort of glorious resolution at any moment, like in his Tenth Symphony, but at the end it all goes all quiet, and the xylophone plays the simple melody very solemnly like a requiem [12:06-12:27], very poignant, with high violins in tremolo in the background, Rostropovich gets under the skin and to the heart of this movement.

Here's Rostropovich conducting the third movement on YouTube.

Bruckner - Symphony 5 [Solti-Chicago Symphony Orchestra]

Back in 2008 i played these discs for the first time, late August, sitting on a park bench near my home, and it was a revelation!, this got to be my 'recording of the month' then, now this is the sixth time i've listened to it, and i haven't done much listening of anyone else playing it [only Harnoncourt / RCA], so it still remains a bit of a mystery to me, this time i felt cooler to the work, or at least to start with, the first two movements were 'mere' very good, but the Symphony got better as it went along, so the last movement was now its highlight, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [7th October 2012].

Georg Solti was Hungarian, he died in 1997 at the age of 84, he made this recording in 1980, the front cover shows a small portrait of Solti, lettering small and large in brown and white, horizontal and vertical, all with an orange background, i like the results.

Well like i said, it was the last movement which was tremendous, the whole Symphony seems to build up to a climax, and if the first three movements pose all the questions, then the last movement has all the answers!, it's the longest movement on this performance, nearly 24 minutes, the opening is a slow Adagio, pizzicato on double basses, and almost a string symphony over that [0:00-0:45], i really love the opening, this movement is rather a start / stop / start thing at first, love the oboe playing the main tune in a melancholy way [1:20-1:40], the brass of course have have their loud say [5:36-6:22], fanfares over frantic strings, it's a thrilling moment, and again a little while later they have a regal / noble triple fanfare [7:04-8:15], Bruckner really likes to blast your ears off!, there's a thrilling large section just after the middle, where the strings start up a complex fugue of sorts [12:33+], all zigzag rhythms, increasingly punctuated by brass fanfares [13:13+], it goes on for ages, this must be my favourite section of this movement, Bruckner keeps it going on and on [-15:08], love it when the brass fanfares come back in [17:55-18:45], it's good to hear the different brass instruments, awash with those driving strings in the background, the final threads are majestic, it's a brass festival, the brass seems to keep outdoing itself [21:19+ / 21:56+ / 22:56+], working its way up the levels to something really climatic, love the way the timpani has a loud roll right at the end [23:27-23:37], what a thrilling piece of music, sadly Bruckner never heard this Symphony himself in his lifetime!, i hope he's up there listening to it all now.

Here's Celibidache conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.

Tchaikovsky - Symphony 5 [Jansons-Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra]

When Jansons first recorded his Tchaikovsky cycle, his recordings were considered quite an event, and the consensus was that here is a fresh take on Tchaikovsky, and a reference set for the future, it's hard to have that expectation hanging around your neck, the Fifth could be regarded as Jansons best of his cycle, though my favourite at this time remains with Chailly / Decca, i loved listening to this today.

Mariss Jansons is Latvian, he's now 72, this Symphony was recorded back in 1984 when Jansons was 41, and his career took off, he was with the Oslo Philharmonic for 23 years [1979-2002], and transformed them as an Orchestra.

On the whole it was all of the Symphony that excited me, the third being a slight dip i guess, the 'finale' was thrilling, and as a real feel for the whole of this Symphony, i would like to talk about this last movement, scored as 'Maestoso' = Majestic, and that's the great feel of this movement, a noble march of a tune at the beginning, Tchaikovsky certainly knows how to use the brass as fanfares, there's a regal-ness to the whole thing, this intro comes to an end [2:45], and the Allegro Vivace comes in, i like the way Jansons gives the brass room to breath [Pletnev is even better though], and the brass churn out these fanfares as the strings swirl and zip around them [4:24-4:50], i guess this fanfare is the theme for the whole movement, Vivace / lively is certainly right!, Tchaikovsky has to have one of his high powered endings, almost in the style of 1812 [8:49+], majestic is the keyword here, i like the way the brass have these short little fanfares [9:21 & 9:27], and then they come in full force [9:40-10:01], and right at the end time for some closing fanfares [10:52-11:04], it's a thrilling ride.

Here's Gergiev conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.

Schubert - Symphony 9 'The Great' [Abbado-The Chamber Orchestra Of Europe]

Abbado uses reduced forces here, a Chamber Orchestra, but what it might lose on overall weight, it gains in a lightness and litheness, i'm sure orchestras back in Schubert's day didn't have the same depth they have today, i guess it's harder to get together a large enough group of professional musicians, and so maybe this sounds more like the real thing than a full blown Berlin Philharmonic, Abbado keeps things moving, there's a real lilt to proceedings, a real favourite of mine, it's already appeared in my Blog twice before [9th October 2011 & 18th September 2012]. 

Claudio Abbado passed away just over a year ago, he was 80, he recorded this work in 1987.

Surprisingly it was the last two movements that i enjoyed the most, with the third movement Scherzo really impressing this time, which is probably the least liked of the four usually, it's scored as Allegro Vivace, fast and lively, and i certainly agree with the lively bit, the woodwinds whistle and chatter away, the music alternates between a sweet little waltz, and heavier fortissimo strings, it's like a war between the strings and the woodwind / brass, there's this gorgeous trio section in the middle [6:26-10:40], again the woodwinds are fantastic here, i guess it's my favourite section of the movement, Schubert really knows how to spin a tune, it's melody sweeps you away, just when you think it's coming to an end, it glides away again, Schubert really knows how to jig those dance rhythms! 

Here's Claudio Abbado on YouTube, with the third movement Allegro Vivace.

Mahler - Symphony 4 [Hendricks/Mehta-Israel Philharmonic Orchestra]

I have roughly ten Mahler 4's in my collection, and this is certainly one of the better of them, from the cover, it presents itself as pastoral sunny work, and certainly it's the happiest of Mahler's Symphonies, i remember walking in the woods listening to this Symphony, seemed like the perfect place to hear Mahler's 4, the front booklet cover is fantastic [by Eric Bach], a castle on the hill, tiny in the picture, juxtaposed against the blossoms on the tree, i played this disc almost five years ago [21st June 2010].

Zubin Mehta is Indian, he's now 78, he recorded this in 1979, wow already over 35 years ago!, and yet it's still considered a 'modern' recording, i love these Decca Eclipse recordings, a great way to collect the back catalogue, and with seventy plus minutes of music.

On this listen i just love the slow movement, marked as Ruhevoll by Mahler, ruhe = rest, voll = fully, i think the idea was relaxing / refreshing, i guess like sleep, you get fully invigorated, the movement is long, clocking in at nearly 22 minutes here, but it never feels that long, maybe the same length as say a Schubert's Ninth movement [15 minutes], it indulges you, and you forget time!, the heavenly opening chords straight away introduce that beautiful tune, this to me represents a far more accurate portrayal of a possible heaven than the worded account in the following movement, supposedly built upon a set of variations, i love the way mahler takes the violins so high in the sweet treble, that at times they almost disappear, a wonderful swooning if you will [2:17-3:26], if the strings represent the brighter side of the movement, then the darker side of the movement is represented by the woodwind, or more perfectly by the brass, just over halfway through the movement Mahler uses some dance rhythms, some of it is quite jiggy [14:58-15:57], but after this the music almost descends into a deep pathos [16:17+], i guess a coda if you will, but the whole thing bursts into a loud fanfare of joy [18:30+], announcing the opening tune of the last movement before its time, and again those violins play high in treble, ending on an expectant pause, once you see more of the structure, you understand what Mahler is trying to say.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Inbal-Radio Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt] 

Berlioz masterpiece isn't a great regular in my Blog, this is only its fifth appearance in over three years, however i played this work on the way to Church last Sunday [10th March 2013], and here's the work again on the way to Church this Sunday!, maybe the work will become a Sunday thing, but i must admit it was an enlightening thing playing this Symphony twice in a short space of time, it made me think deeper about it, and i would say of the two, this was the more enjoyable experience, maybe i was into it more, this is the very first disc i bought of this work, in those days i planned to only buy one disc of each work, but that's changed, i think i own five or six of these discs now, each gives a slightly different stance, and it's great to have a fresh perspective every time i listen to this work.

Eliahu Inbal is Israeli, he is now 77, and he made this recording in 1987, i believe the recording is live, the front cover artwork is not great, i much prefer photography, but it is actually well done.

I liked the two shorter movements, they are both really full of rhythm and visuality, one joyous fun, the other sinister 'fun', both have their place, and on this listening it was the gorgeous waltz of The Ball that i found irresistible, it starts off with an introduction which sounds mysterious and ominous [0:00-0:37], the use of a couple of harps add to the mystery, and when the waltz comes in [0:40+], you can feel being swept off the floor in a gliding dance, of course the waltz reminds me of Strauss, the way he can have you swaying is so infectious, there's a lovely denouement at [4:34-4:38], and afterwards the waltz seems to take on a greater franticness, the two winds [clarinet & oboe / the lovers] have their little dialogue, before a final sweep and close of the waltz.

Here's Leonard Bernstein conducting the second movement 'Un Bal' on YouTube.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique [Skrowaczewski-Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra] 

A version that i haven't played all that much, i think that this is the third time i've listened to it, a cold walk through the park, Skrowaczewski is making some nice discs for Oehms Classics, according to my Blog, i haven't played this work for just over a year, now that's a long time, so it was wonderful to refresh my soul with this lovely work again, the melodies and ideas are wonderful.

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was born in Poland, he is now 89, wow that's getting on in years, but he still seems to be going strong, he made this recording in 2002, the front and back visuals are are good, a nice picture on the front, and the back is well laid out.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Bohm-Wiener Philharmoniker] 

A superb disc, in the past i've been put off by the 'old guys', with recordings that are approaching fifty years old, but this disc is a revelation to dispel all those thoughts, yes it sounds 'old school', but boy do i like old school, in some ways a more leisurely pace, more dignified, not hard driven and fast, plus even on this recording there's an inner clarity, the woodwinds are well caught, it's amazing, i have a new appreciation for Bohm now, and i'll keep a look out for anything else worthy that comes my way.

Karl Bohm [1894-1981] was Austrian, he recorded the Fifth Symphony here in 1972, the front cover is truly glorious, a picture of the famous main hall used by the Vienna Philharmonic, the whole thing couched in browns and golds, look at those superb glowing chandeliers, and the photo is sharp and crystal clear, a real joy to own.

It was the revolutionary first movement of the Fifth that i loved the best, the very opening four note motif sounds a bit underwhelming, and Conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy drive the opening like a thunderous fanfare, to great effect, however Bohm soon gets into the spirit of the movement, yes there's a strong gravitas in the whole movement, it really does take wing, 

Here's Karl Bohm conducting this Symphony on YouTube, same orchestra, i wonder if it's actually the same performance?.