Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
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Composer: Dmitry ShostakovichConductor: Mstislav Rostropovich
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2005-02-08
Music Label: Lso Live UK
Soundtracks:
- Moderato
- Allegretto
- Largo
- Allegro non troppo
Free Music Notes for Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
Free Music Review: Rostropovich was a treasure, but this late reading of the Fifth feels weak
Hit: 3 Stars
I don't mind if the Amazon reviewer goes wild for this limp, wayward reading of the Shostakovich Fifth, but did he even lsiten to it? Far from being grim and intense, Rostropovich's approach is tame. The opening movement loses tension after six bars and never regains it. As for the "fully matured interpretation," this beloved musician never rose to the heights of conducting. Familiar as the Fifth may be, it's tough to knit it together into an emotional whole, and Rostropovich stumbles in the wake of Bernstein, Mravinsky, Gergiev, and Temirkanov.
In the Scherzo I don't hear a hint of savage irony -- the woodwinds positively chirp. The heart of the symphony is the hushed, inward Largo, where Rostropovich is sensitive and restrained. What he lacks is depth of feeling, something he easily achieved on the cello but not the podium. Controlling extended slow movements is very difficult. As for the much vexed Finale, the tempo starts slow but quickly gets up to speed; the triumphal peroration is broad to the point of ponderousness.
I heard Rostropovich in nearly his last American appearance, conducting the Shostakovich Violin Cto #1 with an inspsired Maxim Vengerov. He was larger than life, leading the NY Phil. with real passion that night, but not here with the LSO, I'm afraid.
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 Poster
Rostropovich's authority in Shostakovich's music dates back to his Soviet days and his friendship with the composer. So it comes as no surprise that this, his third recording of the Fifth Symphony, may also be his best, blessed with a fully matured interpretation, the excitement of a live concert, and a first-class orchestra. There's a grimness of approach that registers with the low, rumbling notes of the opening movement and doesn't stop until the final hammer blows of a decidedly ironic finale are sounded. There's a Mahlerian spaciousness in a long first movement packed with incident, along with a relentlessness shared with the sardonic last movement. While a bit more uncouth wildness wouldn't be out of place in the bitterly sarcastic Allegretto, Rostropovich's slower-than-usual tempo does allow for more careful delineation of detail. The brooding Largo is powerful, and the last movement makes a tremendous impact. The LSO is outstanding, with well-turned solos and the terrific brass section making hay with its opportunities in the outer movements. --Dan DavisClassical Music CDs
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