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Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies [Box set]

~ Sergey Aleksashkin (Bass), Vladimir Vaneev (Bass), Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Rudolf Barshai (Conductor), WDR Sinfonie Orchester K�ln (Orchestra), et al.

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product details

Orchestra: WDR Sinfonie Orchester K�ln, WDR Sinfonieorchester K�ln
Conductor: Rudolf Barshai
Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
Audio CD (1 Nov 2002)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Box set
Label: Brilliant Classics
ASIN: B00005UW2B

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 32,290 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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On this CD:

Symphony No. 1 in F minor
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 2, 'To October' in B
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 3, 'The First of May' in E flat
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, West German Radio Chorus
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 4 in C minor
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 6 in B minor
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 7, 'Leningrad' in C
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai
Symphony No. 8 in C minor
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Barshai

Product Description

From the Label

Shostakovich's music is the music of 20th Century Russia, from the turbulent revolution, through the horrors of war to the communistic repression. It is the cry of a soul in torment, expressing grief, despair in a highly personal way, through irony or bitter truth. The symphonies span Shostakovich's whole life, and form a milestone in the symphonic repertoire. They are frequently played, and have gained nearly the same popularity as Mahler's symphonies.

A stupendous new recording by Russian conductor Rudolf Barshai, an authority in this repertoire, as he has worked closely together with the composer for a long time, and premiered the 14th symphony.

Great sound from the Köllner Philharmonie, one of the world's best concert halls.

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bargain. Perfect for both "beginners" and compleatists., 21 Aug 2003

By	Bob Zeidler (Charlton, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I am actually more than mildly surprised to see this boxed set of the Shostakovich symphonies, performed by Rudolf Barshai and the Southwest Radio Orchestra (Germany) listed here. Brilliant Classics is not a label that gets wide distribution (although one can find releases on this label if one knows where to look).

Any – perhaps every – collector of the Shostakovich symphonies can put together a listing of his or her favorite performances, work-by-work, without once referring to this Barshai boxed set. I know that I can, and that such a listing for me would include performances by Bernstein (the 5th), Gergiev (the 7th) Haitink (several, but most especially the 8th and the 15th), both Janssons and Karajan (the 10th), Ormandy (the 4th), Rostropovich (the 11th, in his new LSO Live recording), Stokowski (the 1st and the 11th) and Zander (the 5th). All of these (and more) are already in my library, and I wouldn't want to be without any of them.

But all of this is beside the point. In virtually every way (including performance and sonics), these Barshai recordings are highly competitive, and, as an integral complete set, are topped only by the Haitink set (at considerably higher cost). Barshai, for many years, was a close associate of Shostakovich (and the arranger of, among other pieces, Shostakovich's remarkable 8th Quartet for chamber orchestra as his "Chamber Symphony"), and he has this music in his blood. This long personal association means that Barshai understands not only what we have come to call "authentic performance practice," but all of the myriad "hidden meanings" to be found in this most autobiographical of composers.

Overall, the weaknesses are very few. The packaging is Spartan, and the documentation even less than that. If I continue to prefer Haitink for the 8th and 15th Symphonies, it is by the smallest of margins. Ditto for Gergiev in the 7th Symphony. Everywhere else, Barshai elicits performances that are truly "top drawer," with recorded sound to match. And how often will one go out of one's way to obtain recordings of Shostakovich's 2nd and 3rd Symphonies on a full-price label? Not often at all, meaning that most people miss these two works entirely. Not that they are Shostakovich at his best (particularly with their "agitprop" finales), but I must confess that there are some pleasant surprises in the early movements of the Shostakovich 2nd Symphony, written during his most "experimental" phase and sounding quite like Charles Ives in places: "Gorky Park in the Dark" might be a clever way of putting matters.

Those already having good collections of the symphonies are probably already aware of this bargain box, and will get it (or have already gotten it) just for its comprehensiveness and uniformity of interpretation and quality. Those just starting out to discover Shostakovich and his symphonies could hardly do better than acquire this bargain box: For about what one would normally pay for just three or four of the symphonies on full-price labels, you can have the full set of works by Barshai, and begin your journey comfortable with the fact that these are authoritative performances by an acknowledged Shostakovich master.

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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of the best Shostakovich performances on record, 3 Nov 2006

By	Mr. Christian Hoskins (London, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The performances and recordings in this set vary between good and outstanding. For me, symphonies 4, 6 and 8 are the most impressive. I have never heard the first movement of the 6th Symphony played with such glowing intensity, whilst the 8th Symphony rivals the 1960 Mravinsky performance recorded by the BBC. Most of the other symphonies are also given first class performances. The least impressive performances are probably the 5th and 11th symphonies, which are a little unexciting, and the 7th where Barshai sounds unconvinced by the ending. (No recording of the 7th matches Bernstein's 1987 performance on DG.) However, taken as a whole this is most impressive. Orchestral playing and recording quality are also excellent.

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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value, 27 Feb 2004

By	S. F. Law "Shostakovich nut" (Hampshire, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with the oether reviewers, but would cite the performance of the 13th as being possibly the finest in the set; it certainly is the best recording since the legendary Kondrashin/Melodiya version; Barshai scores highly here not only for picking an outstanding soloist, but mostly for his choice of a genuine Russian chorus which gives added authenticity to this marvellous score.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great composer
The Shostakovich Symphonies in this boxed CD set are a delight and reflect the greatness of one of the 20th.century's most important composers.

Published 13 days ago by N. Peglitsis

5.0 out of 5 stars Bargain at any price.
If you like Shostakovich,buy it.
Well recorded,bargain price and good music.
I can say no more.

Published 6 months ago by Mahgni

3.0 out of 5 stars Great price - but not a first choice
I bought this mainly because of the great price but to be honest I find it disappointing. The performances don't really "take flight" for me. Read more

Published 8 months ago by R. Wiley

5.0 out of 5 stars Shostakovich makes good Noises

There are not many Shostakovich complete symphony sets around, and some tend to be fairly expensive. Read more

Published on 11 May 2007 by Mart Music

5.0 out of 5 stars A good choice for novices and experienced audiophiles.
I was introduced to the work of Dimitri Shostakovich purely by chance after hearing a small piece of his 8th Symphony in a film. Read more

Published on 22 Feb 2007 by Mr. A. D. Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Year's Bargain!
Before I begin, I have to say there is no such thing as a perfect box set. This is because no two orchestras sound the same, and no two conductors can share the same... Read more

Published on 6 Dec 2006 by E. A. Redfearn

3.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding value
This complete set of Shostakovich symphonies bears the stamp of authority from a conductor who knew the composer and who gave the first performance of the 14th Symphony. Read more

Published on 11 Jan 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars INTERPRETATIONS
As a rule I avoid complete sets. I own performances of all the symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Sibelius, for instance, but selected individually. Read more

Published on 16 Nov 2004 by DAVID BRYSON

4.0 out of 5 stars There are better - but not at this price!
Barshai and Shostakovich were long associates, and Barshai's farmiliarity shows right through this set, which pulls the best out of a mid-ranking German regional orchestra. Read more

Published on 8 Jan 2004 by Gerard Lynch

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