This is the third release in Dunelm's Shostakovich
series and this time it is a double CD set we are offered. It
couples the two major works completed in 1957, the second piano
concerto, dedicated to the composer's son Maxim, and the 11th
Symphony (a programmatic work, subtitled 'The Year 1905', in response
to the popular revolution of that year). As with the previous
issue in the series I reviewed, the playing of "the other LSO",
under the inspired guidance of conductor Christopher Cox, is remarkably
accomplished for an amateur band and the greater stature of the
pieces on these discs carries the day completely. Soloist Marina
Primachenko delivers a lovely performance of the concerto, a work
that has to be one of Shostakovich's most joyous - perhaps the
dedication sheds some light on this, with Maxim giving its premiere
on his nineteenth birthday. A different creature to the blithe,
witty and acerbic first concerto, with its significant trumpet
part, the composer's second major concertante offering for the
piano evokes both Bach and Rachmaninov in its Allegro-Andante-Allegro
structure. It remains, to these ears, one of Shostakovich's most
grateful scores, without resorting to the filmic hyperbole of,
say, The Assault on Beautiful Gorky (his miniature Warsaw
Concerto!).
The Eleventh Symphony, on the face of it, has
the same unhelpful programmatic baggage as the Seventh ('Leningrad'),
but is far better constructed and more subtle, so an altogether
more enticing prospect, in terms of repeated listening. One only
needs to listen to the final movement ('Tocsin') for a rather
more inspired take on martial themes than the infamous "invasion"
of the seventh. Before that we visit revolutionary songs for the
themes of the first movement ('Palace Square'), the composer's
own Ten Choral Poems (again, on revolutionary texts) in
the second ('9th January') and the music used for Lenin's
funeral march in the third ('In Memoriam'). The music is often
slow and rarely goes much beyond that, the four movements' markings
alternate between Adagio and Allegro, but much emotional
substance is distilled here.
It remains difficult to judge these discs as
direct comparisons to commercial recordings. The "live" aspect
of them can be both a blessing and a curse. The spontaneity goes
without saying and the audience noise is minimal, except for the
deliberately included but "foreshortened" applause at the end
of each disc. It is however, disingenuous to review this set (or
indeed any in the series) without pointing out the extremely low
monetary outlay now required to obtain Barshai's benchmark set
(Brilliant Classics) of the complete symphonies. So, I recommend
this release wholeheartedly and applaud the Pattisons’ thoroughly
admirable approach to recording and disseminating music. Aficionados
will no doubt lap this up and the uninitiated could do far worse
but, whatever you decide, do yourself a favour and get a copy
of the Barshai set before it disappears.
Neil Horner
DUNELM RECORDS:
LIST OF SHOSTAKOVICH RECORDINGS: 2005
All made at St. Cyprian’s Church, Glentworth
Street, London
KHACHATURIAN: Suite No.2 from the ballet
‘Spartacus’ [21:48]
BARBER: Concerto for violin and orchestra
[24:08]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No.6 in B minor,
Op.65 [30:56]
Adrian Varela (violin)
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox
Recorded "live" 19 May 2001
DUNELM DRD0173 [77:19]
Reviews: C
H Loh, DSCH Journal http://www.opus147.free.fr/reviews16.htm
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No.7 in C major [‘Dedicated
to the city of Leningrad’] [73:03]
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox
Recorded "live" 18 May 2002
DUNELM DRD0184 [73:03]
Reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Feb03/1aFeb03-5.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Feb03/shost7dunelm.htm
SHOSTAKOVICH
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op.
102: (‘To Maxim Dmitrievich Shostakovich’)
[20:32]
Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op.103,
‘The Year 1905’ [67:27]
Marina Primachenko (piano)
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox
Recorded "live" 9 November
2002.
DUNELM DRD0193 [2 CDs: 87:59]
Reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Jun03/shost11dunelm.htmhttp://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Jun03/1aJun03-5.htm
SHOSTAKOVICH:
Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op.103,
‘The Year 1905’ [67:27]
London Shostakovich Orchestra: Conductor:
Christopher Cox; Leader: Jonathan Lee
Recorded "live" 9 November
2002.
DUNELM DRD0193B [67:27]
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No.4 in C minor, Op.43 [63:39]
London Shostakovich Orchestra: Conductor:
Christopher Cox; Leader: Louise Lee
Recorded "live" 8 November
2003
DUNELM DRD0216B [63:39]
Review:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Jun04/Shostakovich4_Dunelm.htm
SHOSTAKOVICH
Concerto for cello and orchestra No.1
in E flat, Op.107 [28:46]
Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 [55:33]
Jonathan Ayling (cello)
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox
Recorded "live" 15 May 2004
DUNELM DRD0227 [2 CDs: 84:19]
Review:
BBC Music Magazine, November,
2004, 13, Number 3, p.63
SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47 [55:33]
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox
Recorded "live" 15 May 2004
DUNELM DRD0227B [55:33]
PRICES:
Single CDs: £10.95 (inclusive of postage
and packing in the UK)
Dual sets of 2 CDs: £16.95 (inclusive
of postage and packing in the UK)
London Shostakovich Orchestra/Christopher
Cox