All Categories
Product Description Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 13, op. 113 in 1962. The climax of his 'Russian period' and, in its scoring for bass soloist, male chorus and orchestra, among the most Mussorgskian of his works, it attracted controversy through its settings of poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko (the 'Russian Bob Dylan' of his day) - not least the first movement, where the poet underlines the plight of Jews in Soviet society. The other movements are no less pertinent in their observations on the relationship between society and the individual. This is the final release in Vasily Petrenko's internationally acclaimed symphonic cycle. Beginning as its Principal Conductor in 2006, Mr. Petrenko rose to the position of Chief Conductor of the RLPO in 2009. On the Shostakovich 4th: ''...nervy, daring, ridiculously off-the-leash performance...'' 5 stars (Sinfini Music) ''...one of the finest cycles yet recorded.'' (The Classical Reviewer) Review "Once a rarity on the shelves - and not a particularly valued rarity at the time - complete recordings of Shostakovich's 15 symphonies now number well over a dozen as the composer's posthumous reputation continues to soar. One of the best new cycles, that of young conductor Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, has just reached its conclusion with a tremendously powerful rendering of the choral Symphony No. 13." --Richard Ginell, Classical Voice North America