Orchestra/Mstislav Rostropovich – LSO Live Multichannel SACD LSO0527,
68:45 *** 1/2:
Shostakovich didn’t usually speak of his Eighth as a “war symphony” as
he did the Fifth and Seventh, but it really is. The Soviet rulers
expected a stirring symphony from him, with easy-to-remember tunes,
ending in a victorious big finish, but Shostakovich had the courage to
produce an epic full of the deepest sorrow and grieving. How many
of us remember that Russian lost 27 million citizens in WWII, and only
one-third of those were soldiers? They had something to grieve
over.
Rostropovich was a close friend of Shostakovich, so this live
performance – recorded at the Barbican in London not quite a year ago –
should be as authentic as they come. That doesn’t mean I enjoy it, but
mileage may vary. Although the LSO plays with perfect distinction and
the multichannel sonics are without serious fault, the symphony
seems to go on forever and never succeeded in involving me
deeply. I find Andre Previn’s interpretation a bit more creative
and lively , though of course not nearly as good in the reproduction
department. The dynamic range is also extreme, resulting in
uncomfortably loud levels in the major climaxes if you turn up the long
triple ppp passages in order to hear them properly.
– John Sunier
