PENTATONE
Shostakovich: Symphony No 15 Op 141, Hamlet Op 32 / Pletnev, Et Al
$21.99
Only 3 left
Details
- Composer
- SHOSTAKOVICH, DMITRI
- Artist
- Plentev, Rno
- Format
- SACD
- Label
- PENTATONE
- Released
- Apr 28, 2009
- Catalog #
- PTC5186331
- UPC
- 827949033162
About
This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
Mikhail Pletnev remains a cypher. Remember how rapturously his first major recording as a conductor, Tchaikovsky's Sixth on Virgin, was greeted? Then he went on to do all the symphonies for DG, and the result was the dullest cycle in history. His Beethoven, on the other hand, was simply perverse: not interestingly perverse, but stupidly perverse. Of course this didn't stop equally stupidly perverse critics from praising it, but that's another story altogether.
Now he turns in a very fine Shostakovich 15th. It has something of the balletic grace that made his initial Pathétique so attractive. The lyrical passages in the second movement and the main theme of the finale have a poised beauty that really is quite striking. Similarly, his light textures in the first movement's "toy" music, as well as the scherzo, tickle the ear and keep the music buoyant.
There is a price, of course, in terms of sharpness of focus and power at the climaxes, not to mention emotional intensity. The xylophone and whip don't cut as they might, and the Wagner quotations in the finale lack a certain atmosphere, but the otherworldly textural clarity that Pletnev achieves in the movement's central passacaglia remains very special. In fact, his relative coolness suits this "spacey" music particularly well.
The coupled Hamlet excerpts do not come from the more familiar film score, but comprise a suite taken from the much earlier incidental music. It's typical youthful Shostakovich: pithy, bright, angular, and lots of fun. It requires little beyond sprightly tempos and a literal reading of the notes to make a fine impression, and that's just what the music receives here. PentaTone's sonics are, like the performance, clear, well-balanced, and a touch lacking in body, whether in stereo or multichannel surround formats. A very recommendable disc.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
Mikhail Pletnev remains a cypher. Remember how rapturously his first major recording as a conductor, Tchaikovsky's Sixth on Virgin, was greeted? Then he went on to do all the symphonies for DG, and the result was the dullest cycle in history. His Beethoven, on the other hand, was simply perverse: not interestingly perverse, but stupidly perverse. Of course this didn't stop equally stupidly perverse critics from praising it, but that's another story altogether.
Now he turns in a very fine Shostakovich 15th. It has something of the balletic grace that made his initial Pathétique so attractive. The lyrical passages in the second movement and the main theme of the finale have a poised beauty that really is quite striking. Similarly, his light textures in the first movement's "toy" music, as well as the scherzo, tickle the ear and keep the music buoyant.
There is a price, of course, in terms of sharpness of focus and power at the climaxes, not to mention emotional intensity. The xylophone and whip don't cut as they might, and the Wagner quotations in the finale lack a certain atmosphere, but the otherworldly textural clarity that Pletnev achieves in the movement's central passacaglia remains very special. In fact, his relative coolness suits this "spacey" music particularly well.
The coupled Hamlet excerpts do not come from the more familiar film score, but comprise a suite taken from the much earlier incidental music. It's typical youthful Shostakovich: pithy, bright, angular, and lots of fun. It requires little beyond sprightly tempos and a literal reading of the notes to make a fine impression, and that's just what the music receives here. PentaTone's sonics are, like the performance, clear, well-balanced, and a touch lacking in body, whether in stereo or multichannel surround formats. A very recommendable disc.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
Tracklist 15 tracks
-
1 I. Allegretto 08:14
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Allegretto
- Duration
- 08:14
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
2 II. Adagio 16:40
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. Adagio
- Duration
- 16:40
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
3 III. Allegretto 04:19
- Track
- 3
- Title
- III. Allegretto
- Duration
- 04:19
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
4 IV. Adagio 17:29
- Track
- 4
- Title
- IV. Adagio
- Duration
- 17:29
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
5 Act I: Prelude and night patrol - Shepherd's horn 02:21
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Act I: Prelude and night patrol - Shepherd's horn
- Duration
- 02:21
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
6 Act I: Dinner Music 01:33
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Act I: Dinner Music
- Duration
- 01:33
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
7 Act I: Flourish and dance music - Finale of Act I 02:07
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Act I: Flourish and dance music - Finale of Act I
- Duration
- 02:07
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
8 Act II: The Hunt 01:34
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Act II: The Hunt
- Duration
- 01:34
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
9 Act IV: The King is brought on - Claudius'monologue 01:41
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Act IV: The King is brought on - Claudius'monologue
- Duration
- 01:41
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
10 Act III: Pantomime 01:10
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Act III: Pantomime
- Duration
- 01:10
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
11 Act IV: Lullaby 01:09
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Act IV: Lullaby
- Duration
- 01:09
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
12 Gigue (1954 Production) 01:04
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Gigue (1954 Production)
- Duration
- 01:04
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
13 Act V: The beggars passing by - Requiem 01:55
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Act V: The beggars passing by - Requiem
- Duration
- 01:55
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
14 Act IV: Fortinbras' trumpet calls 00:43
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Act IV: Fortinbras' trumpet calls
- Duration
- 00:43
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev
-
15 Act V: Fortinbras' march 01:47
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Act V: Fortinbras' march
- Duration
- 01:47
- Composer
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Ensemble
- Russian National Orchestra
- Conductor
- Mikhail Pletnev