Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10

Starring:Shostakovich, Kogan
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Written after the death of Stalin, Dmitri Shostakovich's 10th Symphony is often thought of as a response to the end of a cruelly despotic, spiritually crushing era. It is that, to be sure, but as always with this composer, it's also so much more. And this riveting performance by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Pavel Kogan makes the case for the 10th as the apex of Shostakovich's art. It's a work that combines vicious dissection of the world around him with the extraordinarily pinpointed, even witty musical hodgepodge that was a large part of Shostakovich's repertoire.

Amazon.com

Written after the death of Stalin, Dmitri Shostakovich's 10th Symphony is often thought of as a response to the end of a cruelly despotic, spiritually crushing era. It is that, to be sure, but as always with this composer, it's also so much more. And this riveting performance by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Pavel Kogan makes the case for the 10th as the apex of Shostakovich's art. It's a work that combines vicious dissection of the world around him with the extraordinarily pinpointed, even witty musical hodgepodge that was a large part of Shostakovich's repertoire.

Description

The greatest symphony from the greatest symphonist of the mid-20th century, Dimitri Shostakovich's tenth was written soon after the death of Stalin and is commonly interpreted as theh triumph of the composer over the oppresive age of Stalinism. A thrilling and electrifying performance of this piece by Pavel Kogan and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra is captured on this DVD. The magnificent concert also includes virtuoso encores: compositions by Glasunov, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and again, Shostakovich.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth buying.......2005-03-20

I agree with the enthusiastic comments of the other reviewers. I would simply add that the "Parody" is loads of fun, epecially as performed here, at the climax of an altogether splendid concert. The subtitled commentary adds a great deal to the experience, especially when the commentator obviously gets carried away with his or her own enthusiasm. This is easily one of my favorite videos of classical music.

Shostakovich, Kogan, and an amazing concert...........2004-02-14

I'll be brief. If you're a "Shostakolic", add this to your roster of favorite Symphony #10's. Even if your interest is mainly in collecting bravura performances of key Russian works as played by Russian orchestras, then by all means snatch this up. Visuals are quite good, the sound is terrific, and most importantly, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Pavel Kogan (yes, son of violinist Leonid Kogan), are caught in a moment of white heat and intensity.

Important "extras" for the DVD include the optional musical analysis subtitles, which can enhance the viewing experience for both the seasoned listener as well as those who are coming to the music as Shostakovich neophytes. There's some debate as to an implied or overt "program" to the 10th, and it's safe to say that both Kogan and his forces, as well as the DVD producers, come down squarely on the Volkov/"Testimony" side of performance practice. In their hands, the symphonic journey of Dmitri Shostakovich, composer, living and writing under the thumb of Stalin for decades--and--suriving to both tell the tale and celebrate the triumph of the artist over tyranny, is all too clear. Even without the analysis subtitles, simply following maestro Kogan's energetic conducting provides ample visual "evidence" of this; there's more than a bit of Bernstein and von Karajan in the way his expressions urge the musical events forward.

If there's any complaint to be found with the performance from a technical standpoint, it may be centered on some specious intonation in the winds, apparently centered--oddly--on the first oboe. The "shrieking" sequence in the 2nd movement--where the oboes and flutes play unison--is perhaps the worst example, though to be fair, it IS one of the most difficult wind passages in the literature to get spot-on, with all parties playing in the upper range and at double-ff volume.

On the other side of the balance sheet, you'll hear WONDERFUL sectional string work, characteristicly braying Russian brass (love it or hate it, it's there!), and assured, inspired leadership over the procedings by Kogan. At 73 minutes, it's apparent that this performance was most likely the second half of a longer concert, perhaps beginning with a short opener and a concerto. In addtion to the Shostakovich, we're treated to four (!) encores, including the Glazunov "Entr'acte from Raymonda", the Tchaikovsky "Waltz from Eugene Onegin," Wagner's "Prelude to the third act of Lohengrin," and finally the gloriously galumphing "Parody" from one of Shostakovich's ballet suites. Throughout, the audience is enthusiastic and reasonably quiet when need be, with coughing and shuffling held to a minimum.

The concert, dating from 1990, derives from Kogan's first tour abroad with "his" orchestra. The Berlin Wall had fallen only a few years prior, and the great post-Communist opening to the West had truly begun. The sense of occasion is obviously shared by audience and orchestra alike, and the pride with which the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra deliver perhaps the greatest symphony by Russia's most important 20th century composer is well-earned.

A high intensity performance.......2002-08-08

This performance, by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, took place in Munich around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the Soviet Union. Perhaps the political turmoil of the time had something to do with the exceptional intensity with which this (covertly) political symphony is performed. Shostakovich wrote this piece (one of his greatest) just after the death of Stalin; in part, it represents his triumph over Stalin. The performance is virtuosic and thrilling, and the enthusiastic audience reaction elicits four orchestral encores, all very well played, although conductor Pavel Kogan (perhaps reacting to an adrenaline surge) tries to set a world speed record in the Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin. The disc includes useful biographical information related to this work (Pioneer typically does a better job with such background work than other DVD manufacturers). I recommend that you listen to this disk at least once with the "Analysis" feature turned on. It's not really analysis, of course, but it does point out the use of the "DSCH" motive. ("DSCH" is an abbreviation of the composer's name in German notation and spelling. Music representing Stalin is juxtaposed with this motive. Guess who has the last word.) There is one other DVD of this piece available, a fine performance conducted by Georg Solti and paired with a Mendelssohn symphony. Even if you already have that one, I recommend that you get this one too; it's a significantly better performance. Sound, picture, and camera work are all excellent.

Georg Solti Conducts Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 & Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Average customer rating:

Excellent playing, photography, and sound

Georg Solti Conducts Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 & Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Georg Solti: In Rehearsal (Berlioz & Wagner)
Carl Nielsen - The Complete Symphonies
Bernstein in Japan: Schumann Symphony No. 1/Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 - Gunter Wand
Bruckner/Beethoven - Symphony No. 7, Piano Concerto No. 3, Alfred Brendel, Claudio Abbado

ASIN: B000051S7B
Release Date: 2000-12-19

Amazon.com

For all the legitimate complaints about overexcited tempos and rushed- over subtleties that were brought against Georg Solti, the fact remains he had few peers who could generate the same sizzling energy he took for granted. These two 1992 performances, recorded with the Bavarian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, ably demonstrate that Solti's driving manner was, despite the claims of his detractors, wedded to a superb attention to the music. Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 ("Italian") receives a delightful reading; Solti and the Bavarians sprint through the score in rousing fashion, yet remain always alert to the gentle flow that underpins such speed. The warm call of the horns in the third movement, in particular, are neither rushed nor overlooked.

The same qualities that make for a spirited Mendelssohn contribute to a nearly overwhelming version of Shostakovich's tragic, often manic 10th. Solti came to conduct the music of Shostakovich only late in life; and while he never became a definitive interpreter of the composer, his take on the 20th-century's greatest symphonist is definitely worth hearing. The first movement, rising grimly from mordancy to terror, is rendered with chilling persistence, though perhaps a touch too much impatience. But that's precisely the quality that makes for a hair-raising rendition of the second-movement Allegro, a frantic burst of furious scurrying that practically cries out for the Solti treatment. The remainder plays out with the passion and intensity that one would expect from watching Solti at the podium, his eight decades belied by abrupt, kinetic gestures and a singularly penetrating gaze as he drives his musicians ever harder, ever faster, ever onward. --Bruce Reid

Description

One of the world's greatest conductors interprets two classic symphonies. In a live recording from the Philharmonie concert hall of the Gasteig-Kulturzentrum in Munich, Sir Georg Solti conducts the Bayerischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A Op. 90, a piece first performed in London in 1934. This is followed by Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 in E minor Op. 93, a work widely considered to be the finest and deepest of the composer's 15 symphonies. 86 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent playing, photography, and sound.......2007-04-10

I own a different release of this concert which pairs it with Shostakovich's 9th, and as such I cannot rate the Mendelssohn. However, the Shostakovich is gripping, done with a mostly good sense of tempo throughout with excellent playing from the players.

The video is very well done, with cleverly shot solos. The camera pans out for the many tutti sections of the hair-raising Scherzo, just as it should, and the various shots of Solti are quite interesting to see.

There are a few problems...the first being that the first movement is slightly too fast at the climaxes, even though it is convincing. I just don't feel enough weight sometimes, which is a questionable thing to do to
a dark symphony, I think.

True, Solti is not a name often paired with Shostakovich. I have heard that Pavel Kogan's 10th on DVD beats this one, but even if that is so, this is a great DVD, if the reviews on the Mendelssohn are to be trusted.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

James Michener's Dynasty

The Time Of Your Life - 1942 : DVD

Butterflies Are Free (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Simon Sez

The Saint - Vol. 2 - Careful Terrorist / Covetous Heads / Lo