When André Previn was appointed as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1968 it was in no small part due to some successful recordings with the orchestra, including the First Symphony of William Walton and this recording of the Fifth Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich.
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| Dmitri Shostakovich |
Shostakovich was one of the great composers of the 20th Century and certainly the greatest from Soviet-era Russia. His artistic aims became increasingly at odds with Soviet ideals, leading to a denunciation following Joseph Stalin's visit to hear the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District in 1936. Shostakovich also withdrew his Fourth Symphony (which didn't get a performance until 1961).
It was the composer's Fifth Symphony of 1937 which returned him to favour, reportedly being a "Soviet artist's reply to just criticism". More tightly constructed than previous symphonies and with a more conservative musical language, the Fifth has proved to be Shostakovich's most popular symphony with audiences worldwide. But the Soviet cultural police turned out to be easily hoodwinked by Shostakovich, most notably in the finale which has a feeling of coerced triumphalism about it.
Cartridge: Miyajima Shilabe MC
Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC
Turntable: CTC Classic 301 with SME M2-12R
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