BARSHAI’S COMPLETE SYMPHONIES

Rudolf Barshai's WDR Symphony Orchestra cycle (recorded 1994-2000 in Cologne) is one of the best all around sets available, with idiomatic playing that approaches that of great Russian orchestras and masterful conducting by a man who knew and worked closely with the composer. If you need more convincing, check out the following quick overview.

No. 1: Crystalline textures and tight phrasing characterize this performance, emphasizing the work's neo-classical style (less so it's darkly emotional side). No. 2: The playing is fleet, propulsive, and colorful, which is exactly what this "steel age" music needs; and the Rundfunkchor sings with revolutionary fervor at the conclusion, clearly articulating the text. No. 3: Barshai shapes this rambling work into a somewhat coherent musical discourse, but even his sensitive conducting cannot redeem the bland and tasteless choral ending. No. 4: A smart, biting performance with highly characterful playing from the orchestra. The strings really "kick" in the first movement's whirlwind fugato. The recording's lack of low bass is the only drawback.

No. 5: Barshai's interpretation is stern yet elegant, and his emphasis on the work's classical proportions brilliantly points up the symphony's relationship to Beethoven (as well as Mahler). No. 6: A great performance; Barshai shapes the first movement beautifully, illuminating the the music's underlying passion; the Scherzo is the fastest ever, and it's perfectly played, as is the mercurial finale; great percussion throughout. No. 7 "Leningrad": A tight, taut opening to what will be a smoothly flowing rendition that's high on feeling but a little short on bombast (which may be a plus for some listeners). No. 8: Profoundly moving, communicating the work's tragic time in history; Barshai draws some particularly hair-raising sounds from the WDR woodwinds. No. 9: Magnificent; Shostakovich's subversive, Haydnesque wit and underlying anxiety is made perfectly plain; wonderful brass playing. No. 10: A lithe, lean, and dramatic reading, with powerful climaxes; the Scherzo is less frantic than some, but no less ferocious. No. 11 "The Year 1905": Another triumph; Barshai redeems this symphony by reaching beyond the surface cinematography to find the tragic grandeur just beneath.

No. 12 "The Year 1917": Fast tempos give the music an unusual dramatic impetus that outshines the rather foursquare melodic material; clearly this piece works better when it's short and sweet. No. 13 "Babi Yar": A gripping, intense, take-no-prisoners performance; Barshai draws forth powerfully dark and rich low orchestral sonorities, creating palpable feelings of fear and anxiety while generating tremendous climaxes; bass Sergei Alekshaskin is the voice of authority, doom, and compassion, and he's supported by the Moscow Choral Academy's ferociously powerful singing; this performance alone is worth the price of the set. No. 14: A masterful interpretation from the man who premiered the work. The string playing is stunning, while Alla Simoni and Vladimir Vaneev realize the music's bitter irony, grim tragedy, and profound sadness in their passionate, at times neurotic performances. No. 15: Barshai's light touch emphasizes the music's droll qualities and flies directly in the face of ironic and angst-ridden portrayals by Neeme Järvi and Kurt Sanderling; the finale is spectacular.

There you have it, and add to this overall clear, impactful, and nicely reverberant recorded sound and you've got one great Shostakovich cycle. Even though in some cases I lean toward Rozhdestvensky's hysterically intense renderings on Melodiya (while I don't necessarily warm to the screechy sound of those recordings), Barshai's intelligent, humane, passionate, and deeply felt readings undeniably realize the composer's intentions and certainly will stand the test of time.p> --Victor Carr Jr., ClassicsToday.com

THE FILM MUSIC AND JAZZ AND BALLET SUITES

The main competition for this material comes from Riccardo Chailly's excellent selection of film and dance music for Decca. While the repertoire is not identical, its substance really is, and given the choice between them I have no hesitation in recommending this inexpensive three-disc set, for several reasons. First, Chailly's discs (even assuming that they are all still available) must be purchased separately, and this entire set costs just about as much as any one of those single CDs. Second, I like the inclusion of a few more substantial pieces, such as the Overture on Russian and Kirghiz Themes, as well as the brilliant performance of the Festive Overture Op. 96. Third, while Chailly delivers beautifully played renditions, Kuchar's are simply more exciting, particularly in the many gallops and waltzes. This isn't music that requires the ultimate in polish, though the playing of the Ukrainian orchestra is very good--and it's also significant that Kuchar reveals more instrumental detail than does Chailly, particularly in the Jazz suites, or (for example) the Folk Fest segment of the suite from The Gadfly. Terrific sonics add up to an irresistible package that makes an easy first recommendation for this repertoire.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS

When it comes to this music, how the quartet plays technically is just as important as what it does interpretively, and I very much like the way that the Rubio Quartet plays. Unlike so many groups in this music, they never hack or slash their way through the more violent moments, always maintaining excellent balances, smooth legato, and a warm tone. Combine this with lively tempos throughout, and the result achieves all of the necessary intensity without ugliness or distortion, realizing the composer's intentions far more effectively than many a more rough and edgy approach. The result may well appeal to Shostakovich fans who respect rather than love these pieces (and I know that there are many), finding concentrated listening to four strings perpetually in extremis something of an ordeal (at least as compared to the symphonies, with their wider range of contrasts).

This emphasis on the classical virtues of fine chamber music playing means that those famous "crazy" moments, such as the second movement of the Eighth Quartet, erupt naturally and sound well-placed in their context with no loss of excitement, while the gentler passages in the First and Seventh Quartets, or the opening of the Fourth, are notably lovely and full of feeling. In the late quartets (Nos. 12-15) the Rubio's emphasis on lyricism goes far toward making the music's bleakness and dark emotional demeanor more palatable (and consequently more expressively direct) than many less ingratiating interpretations. Very natural recorded sound, happily not too close to the players, ideally complements the ensemble's approach. You can find more gut-wrenching versions of these works (the Borodin Quartet, for example), but this set does the music full justice while also placing it within the great quartet tradition to which Shostakovich so often pays homage. An excellent achievement and a tremendous bargain.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com