Thread: Shostakovich Symphony No. 11

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Post by Arthur September 13, 2012 (11 of 35)
I don't know the Bychkov 11th slipped past me: I have both the 4th and 10th and like them both - the 11th has gone straight onto my wish-list!

I too wrote off this work in my youth as one of Shosty's "appeaser" works that he seemed to write to keep authorities off his back. I still feel this way about the 12th, but the Kondrashin 11th blew the lid off this notion for me. The first movement and first half of the second are especially slow and icy; when the attack comes it has a brutality almost unmatched. Then the pathos of the third is almost unbearable. But what sets this performance apart is it's incredible finale: much faster than anyone else's I know (and I know most all of them - that's why I was so blown away top have missed the Bychkov!) and with a sense of snarling menace that says "these crimes won't go unpunished!" This performance led me to add this work to the canon of truly great ones by Shostakovich!

Post by JohnProffitt September 13, 2012 (12 of 35)
Some one in a previous post erroneously described the Stokowski Shostakovich 11th (with the Houston Symphony) as being recorded monophonic. No, indeed, the Capitol engineers captured it in excellent stereo. The stereo LPs were considered to be some of the finest "demo" discs available, and the various RBCD incarnations sound remarkably fine: a huge dynamic range, with only some residual tape hiss to give away the analog origins. This is still one of the very finest recorded interpretations of the work -- Stokowski was entrusted with the Western premiere by Shostakovich, and this recording in Houston was the result.

Post by jdaniel September 13, 2012 (13 of 35)
JohnProffitt said:

Some one in a previous post erroneously described the Stokowski Shostakovich 11th (with the Houston Symphony) as being recorded monophonic. No, indeed, the Capitol engineers captured it in excellent stereo. The stereo LPs were considered to be some of the finest "demo" discs available, and the various RBCD incarnations sound remarkably fine: a huge dynamic range, with only some residual tape hiss to give away the analog origins. This is still one of the very finest recorded interpretations of the work -- Stokowski was entrusted with the Western premiere by Shostakovich, and this recording in Houston was the result.

Yes, but are you hearing what I'm hearing? Subtle organ pedal re-enforcing all the bass lines?

Post by tream September 13, 2012 (14 of 35)
JohnProffitt said:

Some one in a previous post erroneously described the Stokowski Shostakovich 11th (with the Houston Symphony) as being recorded monophonic. No, indeed, the Capitol engineers captured it in excellent stereo. The stereo LPs were considered to be some of the finest "demo" discs available, and the various RBCD incarnations sound remarkably fine: a huge dynamic range, with only some residual tape hiss to give away the analog origins. This is still one of the very finest recorded interpretations of the work -- Stokowski was entrusted with the Western premiere by Shostakovich, and this recording in Houston was the result.

That was me - I had never seen a stereo copy for sale - just mono - and someone relayed to me that it was done in mono - so I just looked on ebay, and sure enough there was a stereo copy for sale......whaddya know.

Post by hiredfox September 14, 2012 (15 of 35)
jdaniel said:

I'm Jealous! I must plug in to the Bay Area music scene.

Unabashed-lover of this work. My fav to this day--overall--is Berglund's on '70's EMI. Pretty good recording too.

Hey!

That was the Bournemouth recording was it not and is amongst my legacy collection of vinyls. I watched it live at Southampton Guildhall a few days before that recording session which from memory was also held at the Guildhall? Hair raising!

Would you believe we had a predominantly very young orchestra back then so it was infused with fire and spirit. Even the late dear old Paavo hadn't quite made it to 50 but he certainly dodn't have hair even then.

Strange how we didn't grow old with them?

Post by jdaniel September 14, 2012 (16 of 35)
hiredfox said:

Hey!

That was the Bournemouth recording was it not and is amongst my legacy collection of vinyls. I watched it live at Southampton Guildhall a few days before that recording session which from memory was also held at the Guildhall? Hair raising!

Would you believe we had a predominantly very young orchestra back then so it was infused with fire and spirit. Even the late dear old Paavo hadn't quite made it to 50 but he certainly dodn't have hair even then.

Strange how we didn't grow old with them?

Wow, what an experience it must have been. There's definitely a sense of discovery and awe infused in the playing, which shouldn't be surprising since there wasn't an 11th a month released in those times. ; )

Post by pgmdir September 14, 2012 (17 of 35)
Ive got Stokie's and Bychkov's first. I have to agree that Cluyten's is one I'd like to hear. I'm just not sure I like the symphony all that much. Based on what many of you are writing, maybe you have to be there to really get into it. I'm a huge fan of Shostakovich 5 by Stokowski on Everest.

Post by Kal Rubinson September 14, 2012 (18 of 35)
tream said:

That was me - I had never seen a stereo copy for sale - just mono - and someone relayed to me that it was done in mono - so I just looked on ebay, and sure enough there was a stereo copy for sale......whaddya know.

Also on CD transfer: EMI ZDMB 5 65427-2-3 with lots of other neat stuff.

Post by Kal Rubinson September 14, 2012 (19 of 35)
tream said:

That was me - I had never seen a stereo copy for sale - just mono - and someone relayed to me that it was done in mono - so I just looked on ebay, and sure enough there was a stereo copy for sale......whaddya know.

Also on CD transfer: EMI ZDMB 5 65427-2-3 with lots of other neat stuff.

Post by pgmdir September 14, 2012 (20 of 35)
I have it on the EMI Stokowski The Maverick Conductor 10 disc set-- Usually pretty cheap at Amazon.

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