Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / From Jewish Folk Poetry - Bernard Haitink
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CD Details
Brand: HAITINK/LONDON PHILHEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording reissued
CD Release Date: 2000-08-08
Music Label: Decca
Soundtracks:
- Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: I Allegretto
- Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: II Adagio - Largo
- Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: III Allegretto
- Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141: IV Adagio - Allegretto
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: I Lament For A Dead Infant
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: II Fussy Mummy And Aunti
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: III Lullaby
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: IV Before A Long Seperation
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: V A Warning
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: VI The Deserted Father
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: VII A Song Of Poverty
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: VIII Winter
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: IX The Good Life
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: X A Girl's Song
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: XI Happiness
Music reviews of Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / From Jewish Folk Poetry - Bernard Haitink
Music Review: An awfully primitive symphony, and a daring song cycle
Rating: 3 Stars
This Decca disc is the last in the series of Shostakovich's symphonies conducted by Bernard Haitink. It includes the composer's final symphony, the 15th, performed by the London Philharmonic, and the disc is filled out with his series "From Jewish Folk Poetry" performed by the Concertgebouw.
"Symphony No. 15" (1971) is, like the 14th, clearly inspired by the ageing composer's knowledge of his own mortality. However, while the 14th was concerned with the terror and inevitability of death, the 15th is a retrospective examination of the composer's whole life. It's opening movement with its evocations of toys and games is meant to represent childhood and the occasional appearance of the "William Tell Overture" speaks something about the innocence of youth. The subsequent plethora of quotations from earlier works summaries the composer's career. Those familiar with Shostakovich's work will notice bits here from nearly all his symphonies, such as the elegant inclusion of the DSCH motif from the 10th. There are also quotations from Wagner, Mahler, and Tchaikovsky.
I find this work quite disappointing. By the early seventies, serialism and other modern techniques were well-known in the Soviet Union, even if facing official disapproval. In the previous decade other Soviet composers like Part and Gubaidulina had already made use of this progress in music. Shostakovich, however, continues to write with the same tools he always has, even though this is now historically superseded. It's not bad music, in fact it is quite pleasant and entertaining, but there is little original insight. The work also seems to lose energy towards the end, with the third and fourth movements being quite lethargic, though this may be Haitink's fault.
"From Jewish Folk Poetry" for soloists and piano (1948) was a daring work, written just as Stalin was considering a series of pogroms against the Jews which would be as terrible as anything done in Nazi Germany. For a composer to show solidarity with these persecuted people, especially after his second official condemnation, is a display of the greatest courage. The songs are filled with tragedy, as is evident with titles such as "The Lament for a Dead Baby", "Before a Long Parting", "The Abandoned Father", "The Song of Misery". The closing piece is the absurdly ironic "The Good Life". Shostakovich seems to have wisely chosen to let the words of the songs carry the message and keep only a minimum of orchestration for the sake of variety. The soloists here are Elisabeth Soderstrom and Ortrun Wenkel and, while their performances are satisfactory, I have never been happy with the quality of this recording, which makes all the instrumental forces seem packed together.
All in all, the 15th isn't as impressive as most of the composer's earlier works and seems crippled by the limitations of its musical language. The song cycle, on the other hand, is an elegant piece worth hearing. If you haven't heard any of Decca's Shostakovich series with Haitink conducting, try the disc with the 5th and 9th, or the disc with the morbid but fascinating 14th filled out with the great song cycle from poems of Tsvetaeva.
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Description of Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / From Jewish Folk Poetry - Bernard Haitink
No Description Available.Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 8-AUG-2000
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