Mravinsky-Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

[jslasher1]

A wonderful performance. Mravinsky's conducting of Shostakovich has never been surpassed.

[dirxphan]

At this tempo it sounds a lot less triumphant and more bittersweet and ironic. I like it. (And I like the Bernstein/Western interpretation, too.)

[Kirasiah]

That's so much more difficult to play O.o

[Thedearster]

Around what year please?

[SuperLuckydream]

Yevgeny Aleksandrovich shows one of those special and wonderful approaches to a performance  that one rarely sees.

[mnmacdonald]

We are playing this piece in band and man it is hell on clarinet but we also play it faster

[mnmacdonald]

We are playing this piece in band and man it is hell on clarinet

[meb4noles]

poor 1st trumpet. I understand your pain.

[TheVaccumtube]

In response to the comment above, I would like to have a few words. CONDUCTING THE SCORE EXACTLY THE WAY WHICH COMPOSER WISHED TO BE ( AND WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE COMPOSER AT THE TIME OF PERFORMANCE ) DOES NOT GUARANTEE A BEST INTERPRETATION OF THAT PIECE OF MUSIC. THIS DOCUMENT FROM OLD SOVIET ARCHIVE WELL PROVEN THAT. Music is organic, and it seek for right one to give them LIFE, blindly following even the will of an original creator does not produce the best result which we hope for.

[jezmuff]

@TheVaccumtube I agree, Russian composers especially seem to me most likely to ruin their own works

[quinto34]

@TheVaccumtube

Best interpretation? There is no such thing in classical music, there are just opinions.

[TheVaccumtube]

@quinto34  No I fuckin' disagree with you Dutch. Although individual tastes varies, but there is such thing as " best interpretation " exists in the world of classical music, that is why as far as recordings are concerned, the best interpreted performance naturally becomes one of the most popular recording. Got it ?

[quinto34]

@TheVaccumtube No need to get rude idiot

[darkprose]

@TheVaccumtube Wrong. Popular does not equal best. There is never a definitive interpretation of any piece of music, as constantly new interpretations which bring to light new insights into the music prove every day. But, if you think popular = best, then, by all means, have at it. And if you think that the most popular recordings are naturally the best interpreted, there's really nothing that can be done to help you.

[TheVaccumtube]

@darkprose Thank you for enlightening me with ur wise-words you wise-talker. THE ANSWER IS BOTH YES, & NO. Yes, I do agree that 'most popular' recordings may not be the 'best' recording. NO, if you care to follow the principle of majority rule, if any recordings won the popularity, IT DOES TRUTHFULLY REFLECT ONE FACT, THAT IS : IT IS RECEIVED BY PUBLIC MOST PROBABLY AS A 'BEST INTERPRETATION'. Of course if you have a crooked ear & suffering from hearing impediment, u wudn't agree. Hahaha.

[darkprose]

@TheVaccumtube Just a note on etiquette: it isn't considered polite to use CAPS for a whole sentence on the internet. It gives the impression that you are shouting. There are better ways to emphasize the phrases you want to emphasize, *like this way, perhaps*. As to your actual sentiments, I don't give one jot as to what the public receives as the best of anything. The music, and only the music, matters. The rest is commentary.

[TheVaccumtube]

@darkprose NOW, YOU CAN SHUT THE FUCK UP, MIND UR OWN LITTLE BUSINESS, & DISAPPEAR FROM THIS HOLY CLASSICAL SITE BEFORE YOU CONTAMINATE WITH UR PUKE.

[Largo64]

@TheVaccumtube You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but shouting is rude.

[TheVaccumtube]

@Largo64 Oh, am i SHOUTING ? I didn't know that until you remind me. By the way, yeah, POPULAR DOES NOT NECESSARILY REGARDED AS 'CORRECT' I SAY 'AMEN' TO THAT. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WHEN ANYTHING BECOMES POPULAR, IN THIS CASE : THE INTERPRETATION OF A CLASSICAL MUSIC, MEAN THAT IT GAINED MAJORITY SUPPORT. U DISAGREE TO THAT ?

[Largo64]

@TheVaccumtube I tried to tell you that, as a matter of Internet etiquette, all caps, except for emphasis of a word or two, is considered shouting - and rude. You may not learn, but you can't say I didn't try. As to interpretation, it's a matter of taste. Depending on where you are, the popular taste regarding the Shostakovich 5 seems to have shifted. Russians may still prefer the original, but many western orchestras have followed Bernstein. I don't care what's popular. I like what I like.

[jslasher1]

@Largo64 An excellent comment on your part. Unfortunately, Internet etiquette is seldom employed by others, particularly those without any training.

[Largo64]

@quinto34 Exactly! @ TheVaccumtube: Popular isn't necessarily correct. If that were the case, hip hop would probably be the "best" music. Or in Nepal maybe throat singing.

[TheVaccumtube]

@Largo64 UR COMPARISON OF CLASSICAL MUSIC WITH 'HIP-HOP' OR NEPALESE THROAT SINGING IS A NONSENSE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE POPULAR INTERPRETATION OF MUSIC, BUT NOT THE CATEGORIES OF MUSIC. U understand moron ?

[Largo64]

@TheVaccumtube Your handle of vaccuumtube is well chosen. A vacuum is apparently what's between your ears. Calling someone a moron because you disagree is uncivil. It fits with your childish idea that shouting makes people notice you. Well, it does, but not in the way you imagine.

[frdsndrs]

This is one of my favorite pieces of music because a different interpretation yields an almost entirely different piece.

[nhuh09]

maravilloso

[hovhanes456]

гениально

[iczerman]

As much as I like Bernstein approach...this one reached deeper into my soul..yup..this is how it SHOULD go!

[jbrs007]

Tiene buen audio para ser viejo el video o.O

[bult15]

It is fascinating how musical opinions can vary. I find this rehearsal-like version plodding and painful, not only for the trumpets, but for the listener as well. As for tempi and interpretations in general; if they are convincing, I may disagree but support them. This version convinces me of nothing other than pain can definitely be conveyed through music. Ironically, given the shared history of the USSR and Germany, Solti and the BPO interpret this masterpiece much more to my liking.

[pepel84]

Вот великая русская культура!

[silverbud]

Russian government in the 30s and 60s thought him rather to be their enemy. ;-)

[Andron3]

Great Mravisnky!*****

[VoxAcies]

I absolutely love this version, it feels so powerful.

I felt that Bernstein's interpretation was a bit too easy going, considering how and why this symphony was composed.

[sockstealer107]

it's all bueautiful music. so shut and stop complaining about how slow this is or how fast Berstein takes it. i prefer it faster than this but slower than Berstein. but i'm not going to say one tempo is wrong. only Shostakovich can do that.

[minjanja]

I will for sure

[minjanja]

Bernstein is fantastic, his version is so sincere and vivid, who cares about authentic tempos!

[belindawebster]

Try saying that in 300 years!

[DSCHShostaMaestro]

It's not just about what's authentic, but what is actually marked in the score by Shostakovich himself. Bernstein takes it way too fast.

[PhilipLu3]

who cares what the composer marks? It is just a suggestion!

[billyguns2]

Should we turn all Andantes into Largos? How about turning Allegros into Adagios? How about turning Andantes into Prestos? The composer carefully marks his tempi suggestions for a reason; it is the height of arrogance and ignorance to ignore the nature of the piece they composed, IMO. By the way, Mravinsky conducted the premiere of this symphony under the composer's supervision, so he ought to know what he's doing here.

[PhilipLu3]

Yes, but you have to have some personal expression.

[billyguns2]

I agree. One can have a world of personal expression within an indicated tempo marking; it is fascinating to me that there are so many different performances all honoring the composer's tempo markings, yet each sounding vastly different in expression! I object to musicians changing the composer's tempo markings; that is self indulgent and pretentious, IMO.

[Moconnor834]

precisely i agree with billy on this...

[TheBowIsMightier]

I agree with Philip, honestly.

Take Beethoven for example. In his symphonies some of the tempi are marked as ridiculously fast; most prefer slower interpretations. The fifth movement, is the perfect example, I think one should slow down and allow the sounds to really project.

You should always take what the composer has in mind, but a true artists can and will interpret the music

[ia0002]

No one argues that Bernstein is fantastic. However, as VoxAcies said here, Bernstein's version is quite easy going. He takes the coda Alla Breve, thus making the whole ending too cheerful. IMHO Shostakovich didn't mean to have a happy ending here.

[ia0002]

Continuing my reply to minjanja:

Of course, as a trumpet player I prefer to play it fast (the way I performed it in an American orchestra with an American conductor)--it is not as painful on your chops. But the traditional interpretation of this Finale in Russia sticks to the score. That's why this clip sounds so scary. And yes, it is hard to hold those high concert C's at the end fortissimo as whole notes, not half notes. (I did perform it in Russia as well).

[kiasmus]

I've always found this guy intimidating. Grave, stiff and always in full command. Those were the golden days of the art of conducting -the era of the Reiners, the Klemperers, etc.- I must say that I prefer those great tyrants rather than"democratic" conductors like Rattle et al, whose view of the music is often superficial and petty. For those interested in Mravinsky, check his Bartók. His rendering of the "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" was aplauded by the very George Szell.

[Gorboduc]

I was listening to a conductor interviewed on the radio the other day and he reminded me of a restaurant host of some kind, very charming and friendly and winning of course but with absolutely no conviction or depth. I'd bet that in today's climate guys like Toscanini, Furtwangler, Mravinsky, Szell, Reiner, or Klemperer probably couldn't even get careers at all, which is not only absurd but probably explains why the music so often stinks.

[foerster]

yes,,, and just a little thing, may be stupid, I don't know, but... look a him... even if you don't know the music before, you conduct you. You, the listener. Just looking at him. And you feel ok. And about the names you used, Toscanini, Furtwaengler... or Karajan, it's the same. Conductors today are... just clowns.

[BeezerD71]

i also tend to like bernstein's tempo better...it's awkward and discomforting. for me, it serves to get the painful message across. but this is also an interesting document about how tempo tastes change and how they contribute to the effect of a piece.

[yellotheemcee]

i cant find the other mvts...

[proferrando]

Stunning!

[pastrychef1985]

Awesome.

Is he wearing a Soviet Hero medal, or just some Lenin badge?

[imsleepyanddead]

i won't be surprised if he wore both. considering shostakovich's genius way of hiding his true motives behind the music (by covering them up with so-called nationalist "good" music), i'm sure the authorities would listen no farther than the major-scale coda.

[superbemaison]

Nice tempo:not too fast unlike Bernstein's!!!!

[imsleepyanddead]

that, my friend, is all up to the listener.

[TwistingWays]

I like Bernstein's tempo...but I like this one too...it makes it more epic. I guess I should read the music at metronome marking rather than what I have heard XD

We are playing the finale of this for All-Northwest, I am so excited!

[klezklar]

This IS the real tempo: Mravinsky played all Shostakovich' symphonies in a presents of the composer, starting from 1st rehearsal.

I myself played THIS SYMPHONY in USSR with composer sitting right next to our conductor - it was the same tempo; that's what D.D. wants.

[BBHelicon]

@klezklar hey.. can you tell me more about how was like to sit in the orchestra with such great men... what do you play.. heve you ever played with Svetlanov?

Musical greetings ;)

[MythicTrumpet13]

@klezklar Yes this may be the actual tempo, but that just shows the Mravinsky couldn't interpret the score himself. A good conductor would play the piece the way they feel it should be. There is nothing wrong with the way it is writing, but it lacks individuality.

[CardsAsWeapons]

@klezklar

Bernstein was also with Shostakovich during the American premier, and Shostakovich said he liked the faster western tempo equally as much.

[Largo64]

@klezklar You're right that this is the "correct" tempo. Bernstein, I think, was the first to play it in cut time. This version seems passionless to me. The Bernstein version almost made me climax when the piece did. But, of course, the composer is always right. Just my humble opinion.

[GGbreizh]

@Largo64 Shostakovich didn't oppose to Bernstein's tempo of the piece.

[humbledog1984]

You want the Russian soul, here it is. Marvellous interpretation A light shining in darkness.

[hypocrita]

beautiful tempo!!!! amazing!!!

[foerster]

Che signore! Che artista! grande carisma! Penso che non esistono piu' musicisti così! Mravinsky è un grande.

[SupermansDead93]

have u guys heard his 80's recording of shost 8 with the leningrad phil? ITS AMAZING

[VegliaBorletti]

Yes!!!!! That one is just magic..

[ArturoAlejandroS]

This is marvellous.The finale is amazing.

[crhistomus]

que buen video ojala hubieran mas videos de estrenos de sinfonias de shostakovich

[Kntrabssi]

Man, he just understood this piece. The ending is often played too fast and loud, but that is not Shostakovich's intention, if you read about the piece. Mravinsky just got it.

[TheNaCl]

iconic!

[leontud]

Sorry , Bernstein is clownish compared to Professor Mravinsky and Klemperer does not come near.He was famous enough at home, thats what counts , for a russian .he still remains an authority, a Mendelevian Type figure.

[foerster]

yes

[leontud]

yes, he is the original/first conductor of all of Dmitris music.He . was/is a genius

[Rusalka1975]

00.56 - 00.57: theese 2 notes before "mi, mi mi" of the 1st violins - is it original from Schostakovich?

[Kntrabssi]

Hehe, no they aren't, and great ears to pick it out!

[jr4915]

Maybe just a few current professional conductors and student conductors should study these tempi. He was Shostakovich's favorite conductor and the end of this movement shows exactly what Shostakovich wrote in the score.

[pviola314]

genius

[zarkingtaters]

genius

[NeoMalikov]

genius

[malachijanes85]

genius

[leontud]

genius

[ahjot]

genius

[VegliaBorletti]

Mravinsky.. the best..

[mmmxxxxmmmxxxxmm]

Had he lived in the west, he would have been a millionaire. One of the greatest conductors ever, alongside Mengelberg and Furtwängler.

[ArturoAlejandroS]

Yes, If he had lived in the west he would be as famous as Bernstein or Klemperer, is also great as them.

[adamwas]

Just a fricken Genius

[claudiacloclo1]

this is so good

[ladymalfoy1]

If this is a serious attempt on Shostakovich, it's beyond terrible, but as a joke, I laud you.

[godelike]

Mravinsky was Shostakovich's favorite conductor...

[osugi007]

It is af fantastic. bravo!!

when time about 1960?