SHOSTAKOVICH

 

Symphonies 1-15; October op. 131

The Sun Shines on Our Motherland op. 90

The Execution of Stepan Razin op. 119

Violin Concerto Nr.2 (with David Oistrach)

 

Soloists, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra / Kirill Kondrashin

 

Kyrill Kondrashin was principal conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1960 to 1975. A friend of the composer for 40 years, he saw him as "…the moral conscience of music in Russia" and made a close study of his symphonies, which he insisted were "…inseparable from the events of the composer's life". It was with this orchestra that Kondrashin first performed the composer’s 4th and 13th Symphonies. Now reissued on Melodiya, Kondrashin's cycle offers a vital insight into Shostakovich's world.

 

“The Melodiya set is a compulsory purchase for all true lovers of Shostakovich, especially those who feel that most recent recordings speak with a foreign accent…The first complete Shostakovich cycle

from one interpreter can still startle with its resilience and panache…”

David Gutman, Gramophone

 

“…there’s little question that many of the performances have an immediacy of impact unrivalled to this day…there are plenty of instances where the tension seems to operate at an almost unbearable fever pitch…Melodiya’s engineers have done wonders in re-mastering the original tapes…surely a must for all Shostakovich devotees.”

Erik Levi, BBC Music Magazine 03/07

 

“Essential Shostakovich listening… with a bite which leaves scars”

Dominy Clements, Musicweb

 

Melodiya 11cds MELCD1001065