Shostakovich

[Turbineguy]

We used to take down our Christmas tree before the change to the new year. It was bad luck to leave it up. 2016 has put paid to that theory.

So I'm listening to The Gadfly Suite instead.

It seems like the thing to do.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my like-minded Friends on DU.

We need to stick together more than ever.

[panader0]

1. Years ago, about '57. my dad was stationed in Morocco

There wasn't much for us kids to do, ride bikes, etc. No radio.
If I made good grades I was rewarded with a record. That's when I
was introduced to Shostakovich. I'll have to look for that old record.
Have a Happy.

[pangaia]

2. jeeze, I didn't think anybody here would ever have heard of that.

toi, toi, toi...

[stopbush]

3. Contains the Romanza that was the theme song for the PBS TV series

"Riley - Ace of Spies" that rather launched Sam Neill's career.

[pangaia]

4. The romanza was sort of a tribute to the Massenet Mediation from Thais.

I don't know anything about Riley- Ace of Spades or Sam Neill. :&gt

[think4yourself]

5. oh my

I've got to check it out! Thanks!

[longship]

6. Tonight would be a good night for the Ninth Symphony.

Which is one of my faves.

Here's Lennie Bernstein discussing it:

[pangaia]

7. I had the good fortune of playing this, as well as the 10th Symphony,

under Maxim Shostakovich, son of Dmitry, in the early 1980s, shortly after he defected. He also took the time to come to the university where I was teaching and meet with students.

[longship]

9. Both are wonderful works.

In the ninth, one is attracted to the percussion in the ending bars. They portray a devastating portrait, as Dmitri would undoubtedly desire.

I cannot get those measures out of my mind, even years after last hearing them.

[pangaia]

10. Are you sure you mean the end of the 9th symphony?

The percussion writing there is quite sparse and not nearly in the same vein as the end of the 5th and 10th symphonies, the 5th particularly.

[longship]

11. I may be confusing the ninth and the tenth.

It has been a long time since I've listened to them. Living in very rural Michigan I have had no download for years and at my age memories are maliable (as they are at every age, but especially old age). So It may be the tenth.

Here it is.

Sorry. I'm at my monthly download limit so I likely cannot get this exactly right.

Thank you for your help.

[pangaia]

12. Good recording.

I have never played in that hall, but I have been to several concerts there, as well as the Mariinsky Concert Hall and Opera House in St Petersburg. Gergiev conducts a LOT of opera there.,. some would say.. too many. :&gt )

[longship]

13. Is it tenth that I was posting about, with the percussion at the end?

I will listen to it when my download limit resets in a couple of days. I just want to know which one it is.

Old, fuzzy memories, you know.

And I also love Gergiev.

Thanks.


🎼

[pangaia]

14. Here ya go...

One of the greatest final movements in the orchestras lit..
Especially as a former timpanist.. HA !!!
A great orchestra with a great conductor and a great timpanist and terrible camera director.

WHY the idiot camera director is showing closeups of violinists, bassists, flutists, and Jarvi at the end when the timpanist is playing the shit out of his drums is beyond me.. Everybody on the planet knows this timpani part, except..... Eh, it's always like that. Same as FOX sports coverage...

If you want to skip to the 4th mvt-- 37:31.

&t=2817s

[pangaia]

15. Here is another great finale.. Jarvi again with Paris Orchestra...

Also, if you want to skip to the very end.. start at 37:00.

&t=2213s

[longship]

16. As a Finn, I love Sibelius!

But again, I have no download available at this time, and only very limited download when it resets at the end of my billing period. Here in the north woods there is no cable TV or unlimited broadband INet. So we have to suffer with TV by roof antenna and very limited INet by cell tower if one has one close enough.

So, it's nice to see these youtubes posted in response -- I'll likely not have the download to enjoy them (5 GB per month takes one only so far) -- but what I'd really like is a response to my question about my confusion about Shostakovich's ninth and tenth symphonies. Which is the one which ends with the quiet percussion? That's a simple question with a simple answer.

I certainly do not have the download to test any hypothesis on multiple YouTube files, especially when I would have to scan forward 30-some minutes. I would prefer a simple answer.

Thanks.

[pangaia]

17. All I can think of right now is maybe #4.

It ends with very quiet muted trumpet, celesta and single timpani notes.

I have several Finnish friends.
Do you know of the young conductor, Sasha Makila?

[longship]

18. My recent serious music exposure is minimal these days.

I'm still in the era of Jussi Bjorling, Maria Callas, glorious John Barbirolli, Glenn Gould, etc. in other words, the 1950's, 1960's, back when Decca produced the technically greatest recordings and when John Culshaw ruled.

To this day I find most modern classical recordings to be pale echoes of a better time. Also, I've been away from things for a few years and have to confess some ignorance of recent events.

However, I think that there are some historic recordings which will likely never be eclipsed.

E.G., Thomas Beecham's 50's La Boheme, De Sabata's Tosca with Callas, Solti's Wagner Ring Cycle, Glenn Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations, John Barbirolli's Mahler fifth symphony, and oh so many more of that era.

It was an awesome time to be into classical music.

[pangaia]

19. I grew up about the same time--

listening to Ginette Neveu, Oistrakh, Menuhin (although he went downhill later), Callas, Kogan, Milstein, Casals, Arrau, Brendel, Bergonzi etc.. Played with(for), a few of the oldies...

Although I do not spend a lot of time listening now as I used to, I don't necessarily agree about old recordings being better than today and the recent past, unless one compares analogue to digital, in which case I DO agree. But speaking of the performers. I feel there are way more highly talented violinists, cellists, pianists around now.
Problem now is, 'competitions' have forced a watering down of musical individuality. So one has to dig to get past the 'management produced stars. to find the real genius. But, even some of the well-managed musicians are just fantastic.

[longship]

20. Oh dear! It's Shostakovich Symphony #15!

Here is the last movement, with the awesome percussion, Maxim Shostakovich conducting.

It is a chilling performance.

My bad. It's been too damned many years since I delved deeply into this stuff.

My apologies. Just just keep on keeping me honest and I'll be fine.

Thankfully I've listened to both the ninth and tenth symphonies today. That's what brought back the memories of the 15th, with its chilling percussive ending.

Thank you all.


BTW, one might note -- no pun intended -- Shostakovich's homage to Wagner's Gotterdamerung here, a leit motif from Der Ring which begins this last movement.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Very nice! I have recently discovered the music of Stefan Askenase.

I find it very soothing for my tortured soul these days.

Classical music can be so transporting.