Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, André Cluytens, L'Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise :: Shostakovich: Piano Concertos; 3 Fantastic Dances; 5 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87

Definitive Shostakovich Reissued

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 11/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is delightful to have these definitive recordings of the two Shostakovich Piano Concertos available now at a mid-line price in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series. A full-price version of these same recordings continues to be available in the "Composers in Person" series (which I unfortunately recently bought). Rarely in classical music do we get to hear well-recorded performances straight from the baton, or in this case the fingertips, of the composer. Well here we do, with Andre Cluytens conducting the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise with Shostakovich himself on piano (Ludovic Vaillant performs the trumpet on Concerto No. 1 as well). An added treat is Shostakovich performing some of his works for solo piano, "Three Fantastic Dances, Op. 5" and five of the "Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87." Despite the fact that these are late mono recordings (made in 1958), they sound nearly as good as vintage stereo performances from the same time period. It is a wonderful reissue, and even better at a cheaper price."

Shostakovich plays Shostakovich - SUPERB!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 03/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's always a joy to hear a composer's own interpretation of his music. In the case of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, getting to hear him play his own piano concertos as well as several Preludes and Fugues is nothing short of breathtaking.

While the recordings on this disc (dating from 1958) are in Mono, they sound fantastic and the remastering is stunning. In fact, it is such a clear recording, you would almost think it was stereo.

Shostakovich's piano playing is jaw-dropping throughout this disc especially on the two concertos. You can hear the seriousness and the contrasting humor in both of these works as well as serene romanticism.

The "Three Fantastic Dances" and the five "Preludes and Fugues" which follow show off Shostakovich's superb solo piano technique and are definitive authentic performances of these works. It's a shame that although Shostakovich performed all 24 Preludes and Fugues himself in concert, he never recorded all 24. It would've been awesome had he done so.

Definitely, this CD is a must for anyone's Shostakovich collection. It's a rare opportunity to hear Shostakovich as a performer and in excellent quality sound. This is truly an historic album and with the 100th anniversary of his birth still being celebrated even after the passing of 2006, I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than with this CD."

The composer himself recorded beautifully....

Panagiotis | Chicago, IL | 02/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is truly amazing. Can you imagine if Beethoven himself was recorded in a similar fashion? The second movement from the piano concerto is sublime. What is the mood of the piece? It's hard to tell. It's as enigmatic as the man himself. All I know is that I'm glad this very talented man was alive when our recording technology was more than adequate to capture all the feeling in his works. 5 stars."