D. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 - Huston Symphony Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski [repost]

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D. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 - Huston Symphony Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski [repost]

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Dmitri Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op. 103, "The Year 1905" - Houston Symphony Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski
Classical | 1 CD | EAC Rip | 308 Mb, 3% recovery | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Cover scans
Publisher: EMI Classics | Recorded: 1960s| Published: 1994

Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com
This has always been the version of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 to go by. All others pale against this. This first appeared as a double vinyl LP in the 1960s, then as a single LP in the 1970s, and now on this CD. But give credit where all the credit is due: Stokowski extracts a deeply felt performance from the Houston Symphony Orchestra that catches all the nuances of the slow passages of each movement. But kudos go to the sound engineers who capture the incredible bass passages in the last movement. Since this is also a mid-price CD, this is the one to get. –Paul Cook
***
However great one's admiration for Shostakovich it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the Eleventh Symphony and its successor represent a lowering of the symphonic sights by the side of his achievement in No. 10. Listening again to the Thirteenth and a fine German transfer of Mravinsky's recording of the Twelfth and now, this new version of the Eleventh, and trying to persuade oneself to the contrary simply isn't possible. The programmatic and symphonic elements in Shostakovich's symphonies have often struggled for mastery in works like the Eighth or the much-underrated Seventh, but in the last three symphonies he has given us so far there is little symphonic cohesion. Undoubtedly the Eleventh is the most imposing of the three for even if it lacks the density of the Tenth, its vast canvas embraces some memorable and impressive music and moments that are genuinely concentrated in atmosphere. Its thematic substance draws largely on the revolutionary songs of 1905 which obviously carry a" wealth of emotional overtones and associations for Soviet listeners and whose full significance escapes non-Russian audiences. Completed in 1956 the work celebrates, albeit belatedly, the fiftieth anniversary of the abortive 1905 uprising and the experience it communicates is far more vivid than in the Twelfth where we seem to be traversing much the same ground but without the freshness or power of the Eleventh.
Stokowski has a great feeling for Shostakovich and I am sure that many readers still cherish, as I do, the 78s he made of the First and Fifth symphonies. (His account of the Sixth was rightly admired in its day too!) This recording with the Houston Orchestra made its appearance in America some seven or eight years ago and its release now is particularly welcome since the work is currently unrepresented in the catalogues. Stokowski's reading, apart from one or two personal touches concerning tempi, is as faithful as it is atmospheric though surprisingly there are times when he is curiously lacking in intensity. In the first movement the mood is static and icy but could be a good deal more menacing. At fig 21 for example, one would expect him to build up during the preceding two bars to a real fortissimo as marked: similarly in the second movement at fig 44, his violins are not really subdued enough even for piano. But these are minor touches and for the most part, the playing is as expressive as one would expect from so masterful a conductor. The slow movement comes off extremely well and the finale has the maximum physical excitement to commend it.
There is, in a sense, no point in comparison since the present issue has the field to itself but for those who already possess either the Mravinsky or Andre Cluytens's account on Columbia, there is little cause to change to this on account of the stereo. The new version is not superior to the Cluytens and Mravinsky brings much greater intensity, finer orchestral playing and a generally well-focussed sound in spite of the heavy surfaces on the old Russian discs and I would be perfectly happy to hear it in preference to the Stokowski. The stereo spreads well though the surfaces are noticeable in the quiet first movement: it spreads, too, in another sense—to four sides though the total duration of the work does not exceed an hour. WRC add a note saying, "Although some of the four movements are short, it was felt better to space this work with each on a separate side. This also preserves the original sound quality of this recording" and was how it originally appeared in the United States. As it is, if EMI reissue the Cluytens on one disc this new issue would be extremely uncompetitive. However, I hope the above will give readers enough encouragement to investigate this uneven but often powerful score for themselves. - R.L., Gramophone September 1968