Saturday, January 28, 2012

Shostakovich 10th, von Karajan & Staatskapelle Dresden, 1976


Sounds to weather the storm with.





Dmitry Shostakovich

Symphony No. 10 Op. 93


I. Moderato

II. Allegro

III. Allegretto

IV. Andante-Allegro


Staatskapelle Dresden

Herbert von Karajan


broadcast recording of ??-??-1976


Thanks to Progress Hornsby. Check out his blog- it's on the list.


I've been sitting on this one for a loooong time, but I think it's still a 'new' addition to the stuff out there. P.Hornsby and the MetroGnomes sent me this before their own blog was made, and I hope it wasn't put up there in the lee. If so, so much the better; these performances need wider attention.


This performance may or may not be the same as one referenced around the web, from August 15th, 1976 in Salzburg. Maybe someone will comment on that. What is certain is that it suffers from the same thing almost all Shostakovich symphonies have, the way I hear them. The affliction is known in clinical circles as "It's Shostakovich as conducted by not-Mravinsky-or-Kondrashin".

It's just that every time I listen to a Shosta 10th, I have to abolish the 1973 Kondrashin recording where he heads the State Symphony Orchestra, or the furious 1976 Mravinsky take with the Leningraders. Once past these, then I can allow the present recording to take its own personna, but its tough to abolish the impression those two leave.

Call me dogmatic. I do listen to each and allow them thier due, however, and Karajan's conduct here is worth several deep listens. The first movement is especially blessed with some passages of slow burn surprise. Herbie almost makes you forget there are spikes in the emotional arc, so when they are triggered it is unsettling, as seems appropriate. It's a display of mastery of podium skill, no doubt.


Anyway, there are really good sounds here, just the thing to accompany the Internet Inquisition currently underway, with file hosting companies on the rack and such.


Enjoy!


Guillermo



12 comments:

Guillermo said...

MP3, 84 MB zip with covers, info and tracks
http://www.mediafire.com/?y1bh5fr317f9uas

FLAC, 242 MB zip with covers, info and tracks
http://www.mediafire.com/?9fukx9dn7m8t246

sasha said...

MMMmm Fascinating post..Herr K did develope a certain feel for this work as we know from his DG output..And a live recording in Moscow in front of the composer exists..But this is a somewhat unusual..I didn't know he'd ever led an 'East' German orchestra..Especially in the mid 70's when glasnost was someway off..Look forward to hearing this..Many thanks

Boom said...

Guillermo,

Great to see State Work come back to life after such a looooooooong time!!!

Frei Aber Froh said...

Statework, I am so glad you have posted something new in your blog. I just love the recordings you have offered. The Brahms 3 and 4 with Prêtre are all-time favorites. Thanks again.

sasha said...

Seriously has the measure of the first movement..I'd forgotten just how well he paces the music (the earlier of the two DG recordings particularly has the same quality)..Many thanks

Guillermo said...

I'm honored to be amongst you anew. Got a slew of backlogged goodies to get to; I just have to get off my lazy avataric hindquarters.

quantum said...

Muchas gracias. Interesante compararla con la versión DG.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much!

Guillermo said...

Thank you for the comments! I'm happy to share the enjoyment of finely tuned performances.

Jade Amara said...

Muchísimas gracias por tan excelente álbum!!!

Michael said...

Hi Guillermo,

Thanks for this upload!

This recording was made on August 15 1976 in Salzburg in the Grosses Festpielhaus. The Staatskapelle Dresden appeared in 5 concerts during that summer's festival, conducted by Roshdestvensky, Blomstedt, Böhm, Ozawa - and this one night only with Karajan.

He brought the orchestra to Salzburg in 1965, 1972 and, for the last time, for this concert in 1976. He wished to work with the orchestra more but, as one of the other comments pointed out, political relations between West and East were not very good at the time...He also wanted to work with the Leningrad Philharmonic, but that would have been even more difficult, and that plan never materialized.

Thanks again,

Michael

elliot Rothenberg said...

Could you restore the flac link? It's gone. Many thanks