Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
The Bolt (Ballet Suite), Op. 27a (1933) [29:11]
Suite for Variety Orchestra (after 1956) [20:29]
Jazz Suite No. 1 (1934) [8:23]
Taiti Trot (Tahiti Trot), Op. 16 (arr. of Vincent Youmans’ Tea for Two) (1928) [4:10]
Russian State Symphony Orchestra/Dmitri Yablonsky
rec. October 2001, Studio 5, Moscow State Broadcasting and Recording House
reviewed as a 24/44.1 download; originally released on CD as Naxos 8.555949 and on DVD-A as 5.110006. SACD version 6.110104 nla
2xHD NA2012 [62:00]
I first encountered Muscovite conductor Dmitri Yablonsky on a rare SACD
of Shostakovich’s music for the 1964 film Hamlet (see reviews
by Colin
Clarke and Gary
Dalkin). To say I was bowled over would be an understatement; a lively,
idiomatic performance and first-class sonics sent me scurrying for the
Super Audio version of his Bolt and Jazz Suites; alas
it was no longer available, at least not at a price I was prepared to
pay. I settled for the CD (review),
adding the DVD-A a year later. Then along came this 2xHD download, courtesy
of producer André Perry and engineer René Laflamme. Would
their much-vaunted DXD/DSD re-mastering process amount to a worthwhile
upgrade, I wondered?
2xHD explain their recording philosophy in the downloadable booklet; it
seems straightforward enough, the idea being to extract the most from
master tapes – whatever the format – and, where necessary,
from pristine LPs. In that respect they are similar to the likes of Bob
Witrak’s High
Definition Tape Transfers, whose variously-sourced offerings have
impressed me in the past. However it pays to be cautious about these ‘breathed
on’ reissues, which some listeners dismiss as a con. That said I’ve
heard enough good ones to persuade me that it’s a viable and interesting
exercise, even if the results aren’t always as good as claimed.
Then there’s the issue of cost; HDTT’s downloads/discs are
very competitively priced, but some may feel that the $16.74 (£9.85)
eclassical charge for the 24-bit flacs of this 2xHD download is just too
much. The standard CD costs £6 and the DVD-A can be had for around
£8.50. One advantage of the latter is that it offers surround sound
as well. Curiously, my copy of the DVD-A indicates the original recording
was 24/48, so I was surprised to see 2xHD’s files come up on my
M-DAC's display as 24/44.1. I’m sure there’s nothing sinister
in that, although buyers familiar with some labels’ less-than-transparent
recording info might be less charitable.
Reading reviews of a few 2xHD offerings in Download News rather confirmed
my preconceptions about this new label; unexceptional repackaging of unexceptional
performances that certainly don’t warrant the extra being asked
for them. At least these Bolt and Jazz Suites are terrific
performances, which is a plus, but what of the sonics? As I discovered
with the DVD-A of both this and EMI/Warner’s Previn/LSO Turangalîla
sympathetic re-mastering can offer very real improvements in
sound quality; not only that, these DVD-As give multi-channel enthusiasts
a chance to show off their kit.
There are many excellent versions of The Bolt suite; one of the
most exciting and immersive is Dmitri Kitaienko’s on Capriccio;
weighty, wide-ranging and full of impulse and imagination this SACD is
my first choice for the work. Indeed, it’s a perfect complement
to his fine traversal of the symphonies (review).
Turning to Yablonsky and 2xHD, first impressions are very promising; the
side-drum and trumpet at the start of the Overture are electrifying,
and that initial climax has impressive punch. Thankfully it’s not
just about heft, for small details are similarly well conveyed.
I adore this music, which is as accomplished as anything Shostakovich
ever wrote. Brimful of seditious charm and laced with the driest of wit
this suite is a whirligig of tipsy tunes, musical raspberries and slinky,
laugh-out-loud rhythms. The bureaucrat’s polka is all of those things
– what delectable woodwind and sizzling percussion – and a
lot more besides. There’s a welcome airiness to the recording and
solo instruments are nicely positioned in the mix. Initially I thought
the sound a little dry, but after a while I realised it was just clean
and accurate in a way that hints at 2L’s field-leading BD-As.
Indeed, this download compares well with the 24/48 DVD-A – transients
are especially crisp and percussive decay is well caught – even
if the upper strings seem a tad wiry in the Tango. No such qualms
about the Intermezzo, which sounds fine as well as being perfectly
sprung and nicely detailed. There’s great presence too, and the
depth and breadth of sound is very believable; just listen to the discreetly
placed woodwind in Dance of the Colonial Slave-Girl (tr. 6) or
the ear-pricking xylophone in The Conciliator (tr. 7). Even more
telling is the nicely rounded sax in the General Dance of Enthusiasm
and Apotheosis.
Good engineering aside the real honours lie with Yablonsky and his enthusiastic
band. They certainly launch into the Suite for Variety Orchestra -
until recently misidentified as the Jazz Suite No. 2, a
three-movement work from i938 - with all the insouciance one could wish
for. What a jolly March this is, and how infectiously played.
Ditto the Lyric Waltz. Balances are just right – the pianos
in Dance I and the guitar in the Little Polka,
for example – and the big-band Waltz II is very well shaped.
Alongside Riccardo Chailly (Decca)
and Neeme Järvi (Chandos) Yablonsky seems so much more spontaneous,
his players so much more engaged.
Those qualities shine through in the Jazz Suite No. 1, which
shows the composer is deadly serious about the genre. The intimate, clubby
ambiance and hip-swaying Hawaiian guitar in the Foxtrot (Blues)
are highlights, and Yablonsky’s account of Tahiti Trot
– famously jotted down in 40 minutes after Shostakovich heard Vincent
Youmans’ Tea for Two – is as good as it gets. I’m
inclined to think that’s true of this 2xHD re-master as well; it’s
several cuts above the already decent CD, although it’s not a must-buy
if you already own the DVD-A. As performances, though, they’re every
bit as entertaining as the best in the catalogue. Richard Whitehouse’s
original liner-notes are as clear and informative as ever.
A splendid re-master that knocks the CD into a cocked hat; top-notch performances,
too.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
Previous review (Naxos CD): Dave
Billinge
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