Shostakovich Symphony No 5 with Edward Seckerson and Andrew McGregor
Edward Seckerson chooses his favourite recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No 5, plus Yshani Perinpanayagam brings her choice of new classical releases to the studio.
Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.
2.10 pm
Yshani Perinpanaygam shares some new releases which have caught her ear and discusses them in the studio with Andrew.
3.00 pm
Building a Library
Edward Seckerson chooses his favourite recording of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No 5 in D minor.
With the 1926 premiere of his brilliant first symphony, the career of 19-year-old Shostakovich could hardly have begun better. Ten years later, however, Shostakovich's prospects seemed bleak indeed after Pravda, the official newspaper of Stalin's Communist Party, had savagely denounced his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. His confidence battered, Shostakovich withdrew his fourth symphony, his most adventurous orchestral score to date, immediately before its premiere. His next symphony was much more conservative and it did the trick when a reviewer pronounced it 'a Soviet artist鈥檚 reply to just criticism' and it had huge public success, both in the Soviet Union and the West.
With its conventional symphonic structure, memorable tunes and triumphant-seeming finale the fifth symphony is still one of Shostakovich's most popular works. But with the benefit of hindsight and testimonies of varying reliability, no effort has been spared to scour it for traces of ambiguity, subversion and anti-Soviet revolt.
Edward's choice:
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies
Melodiya RCID18056928
3.45 pm
Record of the Week: Andrew鈥檚 top pick.
Last on
Music Played
-
Eric Coates
The Three Bears (opening)
Orchestra: 大象传媒 Philharmonic. Conductor: John Wilson.- Eric Coates: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4.
- Chandos.
- 104.
-
Antonio Lotti
Crucifixus a5
Ensemble: Contrapunctus. Director: Owen Rees.- Harmonies of Devotion.
- Signum Classics.
- 105.
-
Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia
Flute Sonata in F major (3rd mvt)
Performer: Jean Br茅gnac. Performer: Jennifer Hardy. Performer: Yoann Moulin.- Harmonia Mundi.
-
Graham Fitkin
Touch (ending)
Performer: Clare Hammond. Ensemble: Sacconi Quartet.- Signum.
-
Herbert Howells
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in E [1935] (Magnificat)
Choir: Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Performer: George Herbert. Conductor: Andrew Nethsingha.- Signum.
-
Arnold Schoenberg
Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5 (conclusion)
Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi. Orchestra: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.- Alpha.
-
Franz Schubert
String Quartet no.14 in D minor D. 810 'Death and the Maiden' (1st mvt)
Music Arranger: Gustav Mahler. Orchestra: LGT Young Soloists. Conductor: Alexander Gilman.- Schubert & Airat Ichmouratov: Works for Strings.
- Naxos.
- 104.
-
Fr茅d茅ric Chopin
Piano Concerto no.2 in F minor Op.21 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Arthur Rubinstein. Orchestra: Filharmony 艁贸d藕. Conductor: Henryk Czy偶.- NIFC.
-
Henry Purcell
Chacony in G minor Z.730
Ensemble: Protean Quartet.- Linn.
-
Claudio Monteverdi
Cantate Domino
Choir: Contrapunctus. Performer: Stephen Farr. Performer: Eligio Quinteiro. Conductor: Owen Rees.- Harmonies of Devotion.
- SIGNUM.
- 1.
-
Leos Jan谩膷ek
The Excursions of Mr Broucek (End of Part 1)
Singer: Martin 艩rejma. Singer: Ji艡铆 Sul啪enko. Singer: Ale拧 Briscein. Singer: Al啪b臎ta Pol谩膷kov谩. Singer: Doubravka Sou膷kov谩. Choir: Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra. Orchestra: Prague National Theatre Orchestra. Conductor: Jaroslav Kyzlink.- Supraphon.
Broadcast
- Sat 13 Jul 2024 14:00大象传媒 Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life
Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.