Search - Benjamin Britten, Dmitry Shostakovich, Simon Rattle :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 / Britten: Russian Funeral

Some heart-pounding orchestral action

A. Yen | MA, USA | 04/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What is there to say about Shostakovich's Fourth? It wasn't controversial; there are no hints of propaganda or government intervention except in the purposely delayed premiere. It certainly isn't as "nice" as the "war" symphonies, which are on the whole more musically conservative. So what we have to go by, unusually for Shostakovich, is pure music. I like it that way; I personally would find such a diverse and colorful (yes, mostly gloomy colors, but this is Shostakovich we are dealing with) work highly corrupted by any extra-musical nonsense.



At any rate, what we have is two gargantuan and epic movements sandwiching a tiny, grotesque scherzo. The first movement is perhaps the most fragmented and abrupt; however closer analysis reveals a highly structured and rather simple design. The second is barely a wisp compared to the others, but it contains an important motif which will come to dominated the late works of Shostakovich: the strange percussion coda. The third is perhaps the most bizarre, opening with a slow funeral march introduced by a timpani in a tri-tone and then making its way through perverted dances and innocently pastoral, chirpy tunes to a huge climax, which dies down into several minutes of deathly eerie reflections of the piece dominated by a simple c minor arpeggio in the celesta.



I have more recordings of this piece than is probably normal, but each one has something different to offer. The little detail I like most about this one is actually the first bass drum entrance, which delivers a proper thwack, unlike all of the other recordings I own.



Aside from that (which isn't really a big deal) the playing is spectacular, and the sound quality nearly the best you can get. Rattle delivers energy in all the right places. The subsequent whole is not as coherent as I think Ormandy's or Sinaisky's with the BBC is (not for sale that I know of, which is really too bad), but is definitely very thrilling.



Of the movements, Rattle's first is the best. The second and third are well-done, but not as tight as Gergiev's, Ormandy's, or indeed Sinaisky's impossible-to-find one.



Nonetheless, this is one of the staple choices for this piece. Listen to this one many, many times. Make sure your subwoofer is in place, knock down a few walls with the opening, and hope that the neighbors don't complain."

Shostakovich fan or not, don't miss this one!

S. A. Felton | southern OR USA | 08/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not a music critic, I just listen. I'm not really

well-trained to analyze most classical. And for me it is almost

impossible to really "understand" a good piece of classical music

on a recording, I've got to hear it live. Unfortunately this symphony

is almost never heard live because (I got this from a conductor)

it takes a "budget-busting" orchestra, and is also very difficult to

play. Perhaps the fact that it was not heard for 25 years after

it was composed due to concerns of the composer about the reaction of

the Soviet authorities has something to do with it, I don't know.



Too bad, because despite the fact that 2 of the movements

are about 25 minutes long, as a listener I don't find it any more

challenging to listen to than most of Shost.'s symphonies (I'll exclude

the 2 that are vocally-dominated). I think it's just a great piece

of music, an extraordinary composition, maybe one of the most

underrated symphonies. And as you listen, you can imagine Shostakovich

reacting to what was going on in Soviet society in the 1930's. I

found the notes that come with this CD succinct and very useful. The

writer discusses Shost.'s studying of Mahler, but Shost. gives us

not Mahler's world, but rather a picture of the first Five Year Plan,

what was supposed to be the "archetype" of Soviet success, yet in the

music we hear "the underlying horror and falseness of it all."



The final movement is incredible - there is a weird divertimento

dance part (but it doesn't sound as bizarre as some of Shost.'s

other music), then towards the end a loud, intense, stunning 2-minute

scherzo that another composer might end with, but instead Shost.

chooses to end with 4 quiet, subtle minutes that the notes call a

"requiem." I can only imagine how I'd feel hearing all this live -

maybe one day I will!



I've heard only this version, so I can't make comparisons, but

as far as I'm concerned it is quite first rate.





"

White-hot!

Samuel Stephens | TN, USA | 03/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My favorite version of this symphony is still Haitink's Decca version, an everyone should hear that version. However, this reading by Simon Rattle is just as good, though in a very different way.



Where Haitink made the music sound more creepy and open-spaced, Rattle lets it scream to its full height. The result is a reading that will thrill you through and through. Rattle takes the whole first movement fast; and this may be his only mistake. There are moments where, such as at 1:42 where the opening music screeches to a halt. With Rattle, those screeches are more subdued even though his overall attack is more vicious than Haitink's. The Dutch conductor on the other hand, by keeping the music more steady, gets full impact when the climaxes come. The only other thing is the "tapping" at the end of the second movement. Dulled sound, rather than resonant.



But those are relatively mild quibbles. The other aspects of the performances are absolutely grand. This version of the finale really burns into your mind. You'll feel like you've been to another planet by the end of this symphony; a dark and murky planet. Rattle brings off the "swan in the pond" episode (that's what I call it) beautifully. This section starts at 9:31 and lasts until 18:00, and is about the most beautiful and moving moments that Shostakovich ever wrote. A meek theme from the violins signal the start of the ending, as we are brought reluctantly away from this strange but comforting music. And then Rattle pulls off the most thrilling part of the symphony masterfully, the strings subside and the drum burst on the scene and there is a huge upswell from the orchestra bringing us to the famous closing. The "real" ending is harrowing, and even though Rattle's version is fast the loneliness of these last moments is no less moving.



So, I fully recommend Haitink's version if you want to explore the music at a more moderate pace, but you'll also want this one to get this version by Simon Rattle to experience this thrilling and heart-pounding vision."