Coro e Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Oleg Caetani – Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies [10 SACDs] (2008) MCH SACD ISO

The first thing you will notice about this set, the second complete Shostakovich cycle to appear on SACD, is the excellent live sonics. Interestingly, the best sound seems to follow alongside the best performances: Symphonies Nos. 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12. All are pretty stunning–edgy, visceral, take-no-prisoners performances that stand with the best. The others are a mixed bag, partly on account of the variable response of the orchestra on the day in question, and partly due to Caetani’s sporadic over-eagerness or occasional inability to settle down into quite the right tempo (a particular problem in the Tenth and the first movement of the Thirteenth). That said, Nos. 4, 7, 14, and 15 also are very good interpretations by any standard, and of course no one especially cares about Nos. 2 and 3.

So as far as complete cycles go, this one is competitive. It’s not quite as idiomatic as Maxim Shostakovich (but features better playing and sound); it has fewer dull moments than Haitink (who still has great orchestras and some really outstanding performances); and it’s less wayward than Rostropovich (at least in the LSO bits of his cycle). Probably your best bet overall remains Jansons on EMI, with multiple orchestras, but there’s plenty to enjoy here if you want one big SACD box–and this is a good bit more exciting than Kitayenko’s SACD set on Capriccio.

Tracklist:

Disk 01: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 15

Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10
1. I. Allegretto – Allegro non troppo 7:39
2. II. Allegro 4:01
3. III. Lento 7:17
4. IV. Finale 8:51
Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141
5. I. Adagio 8:27
6. II. Allegro 14:28
7. III. Adagio 4:15
8. IV. Finale 19:05

Disk 02: Symphonies Nos. 12 & 2

Symphony No. 12 in D minor, Op. 112 ‘The Year 1917’
1. I. Revolutionary Petrograd 12:40
2. II. Razliv 8:21
3. III. Aurora 4:03
4. IV. The Dawn of Humanity 10:06
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 2 in B Major, Op. 14, To October
5. I. Largo 6:14
6. II. Poco meno mosso – Allegro molto 5:15
7. III. Chorus: “October” 5:27

Disk 03: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 14

Symphony No. 3 “The First of May” in E-Flat Major, Op. 20
01. I. 1 – Allegretto 4:06
02. II. 17 – Più mosso 5:53
03. III. 44 – Andante 4:33
04. IV. 52 – Allegro 5:34
05. V. 88 – Andante 2:48
06. VI. 98 – Moderato 4:37
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 14 in G minor, Op. 135
07. I. De Profundis 3:56
08. II. Malaguena 3:16
09. III. Loreley 9:00
10. IV. The Suicide 6:11
11. V. Les Attentives I 3:09
12. VI. Les Attentives II “Look here Madame!” 1:50
13. VII. At the Santé prison 8:37
14. VIII. Reply of the Zaporozhean Cossacks to the Sultan of Constantinople 2:00
15. IX. O Delvig, Delvig! 4:04
16. X. The Poet’s Death 3:58
17. XI. Conclusion 1:08

Disk 04: Symphony No. 4

Symphony No. 4 in C minor op. 43
01. I. Allegretto poco moderato. Presto 26:33
02. II. Moderato con moto 8:51
03. III. Largo. Allegro 26:25
Fragment of the unpublished movement
04. Adagio – Allegro non troppo 5:48

Disk 05: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

Symphony No. 5 in D minor op. 47
01. Symphony n.5 in D minor op.47: I – Moderato – Allegro non troppo 16:13
02. Symphony n.5 in D minor op.47: II – Allegretto 5:20
03. Symphony n.5 in D minor op.47: III – Largo 14:22
04. Symphony n.5 in D minor op.47: IV – Allegretto non troppo 11:24
Symphony No. 6 in B minor op. 54
05. Symphony n.6 in B minor op.54: I – Largo 17:31
06. Symphony n.6 in B minor op.54: II – Allegro 6:42
07. Symphony n.6 in B minor op.54: III – Presto 6:45

Disk 06: Symphony No. 7

Symphony No. 7 in C op. 60 Leningrad
01. I Allegretto 25:50
02. II Moderato (poco allegretto) 11:26
03. III Adagio 18:33
04. IV Allegro non troppo 17:40

Disk 07: Symphony No. 8

Symphony No. 8 in C Minor op. 65 (1943)
01. I Adagio, Allegro non troppo 20:40
02. II Allegretto 5:48
03. III Allegro non troppo 6:02
04. IV Largo 7:40
05. V Allegretto 13:20

Disk 08: Symphonies Nos. 9 & 10

Symphony No. 9 in E flat major op. 70
01. I Allegro 5:33
02. II Moderato 7:53
03. III Presto 3:08
04. IV Largo 3:23
05. V Allegretto 7:05

Disk 09: Symphony No. 11

Symphony n.11 in G minor op. 33
01. I Adagio (The Palace Square) 15:19
02. II Allegro (The 9th of January) 19:42
03. III Adagio (Eternal Memory) 15:24

Disk 10: Symphony No. 13

Symphony No. 13 in B flat Minor op. 113 Babi Yar (1962)
01. I Adagio (Babi Yar) 13:46
02. II Allegretto (Humour) 7:48
03. III Adagio (In the store) 10:46
04. IV Largo (Fears) 10:47
05. V Allegretto (A Career) 12:13
04. IV Allegro non troppo (The Tocsin) 15:54
Symphony No. 10 in E minor op. 93
06. I Moderato 21:53
07. II Allegro 4:46
08. III Allegretto 13:14
09. IV Andante-Allegro 12:57

SACD ISO

Coro e Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Oleg Caetani – Shostakovich: The Complete Symphonies [10 SACDs] (2008) MCH SACD ISO

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