This symphony is clearly important to Peter Oundjian. While
remaining Music Director of the Toronto Symphony, a post he
has held since 2004, he has just begun his first season in charge
of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Shostakovich’s
Eleventh was on the programme for his first concert in that
capacity. It may be thought a somewhat unorthodox choice for
such an occasion but Simon Thompson, who reviewed
the concert for MusicWeb International Seen and Heard, was clearly
impressed.
Working with his Toronto orchestra, Oundjian also makes a convincing
job of a symphony that has been somewhat maligned in the past.
I’m not sure I agree with those who denigrate the work.
True, as Simon indicated in his review, some judicious editing
might not have come amiss. Furthermore it’s surely the
case that, especially in the first movement, the music is rather
longer on atmosphere than on traditional symphonic development.
However, this is descriptive programme music, even if the programme
- or the thinking behind it - is sometimes unclear, or should
that be ‘coded’? It’s also a work that, if
you consider the history of twentieth-century Russia and the
political yokes - Imperial and Revolutionary Communist - under
which successive generations lived, is actually rather moving.
In the long first movement Oundjian and his players commence
proceedings with an ominous, chill hush. In this movement it
must be hard to generate tension because, on the surface, little
seems to be happening at times. However, Oundjian controls things
well and does impart tension. The orchestra gets let off the
leash soon after the start of the second movement. I’m
not sure that Oundjian quite keeps up enough momentum but there’s
nothing wrong with the passage from around 7:00. There’s
good drive in the string-led fugue (from 12:14) and soon thereafter
(from 14:49) the percussion section impel their colleagues on
to the movement’s strident climax, the dramatic curtailment
of which is well managed here.
The sorrowful third movement comes off well; I was impressed
by the playing of the viola section in the long lament, based
on the Revolutionary song ‘You Fell as Heroes’,
with which they open the movement. There’s frenetic activity
and no little power at the start and end of the finale but the
most impressive passage is the extended cor anglais lament (9:11
- 12:24). The Toronto player excels here, proving especially
eloquent after the music has moved up into the instrument’s
higher register.
The performance is reported in good sound and though, presumably,
the reading was taped at live performances I couldn’t
detect any distracting audience noise, including applause at
the end. This is a good account of Shostakovich’s Eleventh
though it doesn’t begin to match the raw intensity and
power of the Mravinsky performance that I reviewed
recently. However, it’s good evidence of the strong partnership
between Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony. If he can replicate
this partnership with the RSNO then Scottish music lovers are
in for some interesting times.
John Quinn
Masterwork Index: Shostakovich
11
Eleven
11s - a survey of selected recordings
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