Repertoire: The BEST and Worst Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Considered to be Shostakovich's finest symphony (and I don't disagree), this masterpiece has been treated very well on disc, happily. There is also plenty of junk out there that you need to avoid, but in this video I'll tell you about the best performances, and also explain just why the work is held in such high esteem.
Musical Examples courtesy of Naxos Records

[lionsloin]

Another wonderful video. You are becoming addictive. What a great analysis of this great, great symphony. As you so ably show us, there is so much in this piece. Thank you David.

[laszlo-bencsik]

Three wonderful things: 1. A symphony I love the most about the genre (Shostakovich), 2. A great interpretation (Petrenko), 3. An amazingly interesting and rich description (Dave Hurwitz).

[burke]

Thanks for your insight and appreciation of this symphony. I love Shostakovich in general. This video is helpful because, for whatever reason, I haven’t “bonded” with the 10th yet. This gives me motivation to spend more time with it. The eighth is one of my favorite symphonies ever.

[woongcho]

What an awesome presentation - as articulate and passionate as Ancerl's Shostakovich 10th! I used to have a CD-ripped mp3 file of this recording. One day, I decided I needed a good sounding remastered CD and went searching for one, but big sellers didn't have copies of that DG original in stock any more and I couldn't find used ones at a right price. Then I encountered the DG mono era box set, which includes this Ancerl recording, and it was on sale.I was a little hesitant to buy it because I was afraid I might end up with a bunch of murky-sounding historical stuff. I realized, however, how good mono recordings can sound and that if perfornaces are this good, you wouldn't care much about their sound quality. This box is a marvel, and even among them Ancerl' Shostakovich absolutely shines. What a performance!

[AlexMadorsky]

After a delightful few days of short overtures, I awoke this morning with a stirring feeling that we’d be getting a video of one of the true big beasts in the repertoire. So very happy things turned out that way. Shostakovich is my favorite composer by a country mile, but I’m cognizant of the fact he’s not exactly a conventional crowd-pleaser. But who doesn’t love the 10th? The V. Petrenko clips make it abundantly clear why this symphony is so popular in both the concert hall and on recording. I’ll resist the temptation to scrawl a delete-bait post where I merely list my favorites, and I’ll keep the eccentric sleepers that our host might bat away like a fruit fly to myself. However, I must note my own “however:” it is indeed Ancerl, although for me it is essentially a tie with the incredibly exciting Karajan digital 10th. I think it’s the next thing HvK ever tell recorded. For some reason I didn’t love the Karajan at first; I must have been suffering from acute rubber cement intoxication that day. What a scherzo! Ormandy was a brilliant Shostakovichian and world peace would exist if only he’d recorded a full cycle.

[alberich]

Loved the Shostakovich symphonies for a long time. Thank you for letting me know why I love them so much!

[johnwright]

So glad you did this one. If I had to choose one Shostakovich symphony as my favorite, it would be the 10th. Thank God, I don’t have to. You have selected my three favorite recordings, too: Petrenko, Karajan (2), and Jarvi in my current order of preference. Thanks for doing this long-awaited video!

[HassoBenSoba]

In September, 1965 my piano teacher unexpectedly handed me a score and LP and said "here; see what you think of this." It was a small, French/Boosey edition of the Shostakovich 10th and the Mravinsky recording on the "Concert Hall" label (?). I had never seen a full orchestral score before that fateful day...but my life was forever changed. I became obsessed with the Shostakovich 10th. Soon after, I acquired the Mitropoulos version..and then...6 months later (3/24/66) found myself in the upper gallery of Chicago's Orchestra Hall for the legendary Shosta 10th of Leopold Stokowski (technically still available in the CSO's box set). Unforgettable. Stoky opened the show with an awesome reading of his Bach Cminor Passacaglia transcription, plus a thoroughly distorted Beethoven 8th.

For some reason...possibly due to the "exalted" position the 10th holds for me personally, I've never really explored many other versions; it's almost as if there's no point in "competing" with the thrill of those early memories. I keep the JARVI/Chandos recording on hand (it's great), and have listened to Ancerl (thanks to your earlier recommendation) on You-Tube. It's unbelievable and, if there are still CD copies available anywhere in the world (at a decent price) after your video today, I'll buy it (since Ancerl was a mainstay of my early "awakening" to great music and performances, thanks to the '60's budget labels Parliament and Artia). LR

[garysikon]

Finally the shostakovich 10!
Been waiting for this one

[chihamats]

Finally!
I was waiting for this type of video where you talk about the best (and sometimes the worst) recordings of a particular work; that’s what got me binge watching this channel!

[robertbubeck]

I have been eagerly anticipating this day for months and Dave certainly did not disappoint. His disassembly and clarification of No. 10 puts most all album notes to shame. Thank you, Dave! Since folks are mentioning their favorites, for years my go-to recordings have been the Karajan #1 (1967 tulip DGG LP and remastered SACD) and the Ormandy/Sony, which offer two engrossing and powerful alternatives.

[olinwilliams]

I have followed your videos since day one. This is my favorite!

[williammoreing]

Thanks as always for explicating a difficult piece with such clarity! Cheers!

[grantparsons]

Fabulous review Dave. Many thanks. The 10tg is such a beautifully crafted work and is also full of emotional impact. My very worst recording: Rattle's plod through with the Philharmonia. And a surprise fabulous reading: Litton in Dallas.

[joseperla]

Wonderful commentary on the symphony and review of the recordings! Also worth seeking out on Youtube is a private recording of the two-piano version performed by Shostakovich himself and his great friend the composer Mieczslaw Weinberg (upoaded in four separate videos). The second movement is appropriately dispatched in 3:44!

A survey of Weinberg's amazing output is overdue, my dear Mr. Hurwitz! Thank you....

[belpit]

One of the happy results of watching your videos is that I've begun to collect recordings by Ancerl, so thanks for that. This one is definitely going on my list.

[keithcooper]

+The tenth was the second Shostakovich Symphony I heard - Always loved it. But THANK YOU Dave ! - I love it even more now.
And I get a new word for my vocabulary almost ever time I listen to one of your analysis . BONUS !

[cappycapuzi]

I wondered why this talk was so long. Well, you obviously enjoy this symphony! I have never seen you this excited, David. I was a stranger to this masterpiece until about 4-5 months ago when I got HvK's first recording and liked it. The sound world alone fascinates me. And I have purchased Rostropovich's box set of Shostakovich's symphonies. You don't like that 10th, but of course I still need to check it out and will listen to it tonight. The detailed talk is very helpful!

[scuunjieng]

Many thanks for this very illuminating talk. Shostakovich is my favorite composer and after the 5th this was my favorite symphony. Recently I have been listening more to 8 and 4 but your talk made me revisit this and it really is a gripping work where again Shostakovich captures the times like no other

[williamcookmiller]

I enjoy these videos so much. Jarvi, Petrenko, and Ormandy were unknown to me and just great (though you are wrong about Mravinsky IMHO -- the version in better sound that was released on Erato is so stunningly fierce and thrilling; just listened again to confirm). Thank you immensely.