Leonard Bernstein, Shostakovich, Symphony no. 5, Allegro non troppo (1979)

[jetblack132]

The guy sitting to the (audience) left of the oboes, you can see him at 0:57, is he..... playing a bass flute?

He's totally playing a bass flute.

[EttasFavourites]

@jetblack132 No, he is not. Search in wikipedia how a bass flute looks like and then you will see that a bass flute has a different model than this one. There is not a curve in this one. There are even much more really spectacular bass flutes, hold in the same way as the bass clarinet, so in front of the musician. Resting on the floor. And then we can imagine that through that big instrument goes a lot of air before there is the deep low bass sound.

[Strefanasha]

As I get older and finally outgrow my own youthful angst shostakovich and his main influence Mahler, cease to do it for me. which is just as well or i would be dead by now.

this is altogether too violent, the despair too powerful.

I do not believe i speak out of ignorance. I loved this stuff when i was 20 and I have performed it as a [former] bass player in a professional symphony orchestra.

titanic struggle is so overrated

[EttasFavourites]

@Strefanasha Just listen to what you love the most, and leave for others what they like... I do so also! I am not always in the mood to listen to powerful music either! I also listen to for instance the Tibetan "singing bowls", very very relaxing, has nothing to do with classical music, just beautiful pure harmonious sounds..... Wonderful! watch?v=L9xdDUmaMps

[WAMEDJO]

@EttasFavourites

I think it's a good thing that it exists for each specific mood a related musical transcription, because to me one of the most precious gift of music is that it can change the way you feel. Some people don't want to hear music that might stresses them out, but to me it's a kind of role-play.

[ratzlp0li]

@Strefanasha

try bruckner sometime

[Strefanasha]

@ratzlp0li i do. bruckner is my favourite composer. I know and love all his symphonies except for 00 which i have not yet heard. but i do not hear angst in bruckner, only awe.

there is an over riding peace in bruckner that i do not find in mahler or shostakovich

[L0rdR4hl]

@Strefanasha Well, considering the time in which Shostakovich lived, "too violent" and "despair too powerful" sounds about right.

[Strefanasha]

@L0rdR4hl i am well aware of russian history, being a russophile from way back. but i no longer have the heart or constitution to watch holocaust movies like Schindler's List. Likewise I see no reason to experience the horror Dmitry Dmitrievich lived through, which horror, as you say, permeates his work. If nothing is gained by my inflicting my despair (and there is enough of it) on others, why should Shostakovich inflict his on me?

[EttasFavourites]

@Strefanasha Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings! I agree with you, and me, myself, can enjoy this piece of music free from the reason Shostakovich composed it. For me it is a powerful expression of myself, my inbeing, on moments that I felt and feel it. Like springtime in Norway is an expression from being frozen into feeling life again. The outburst of green and water here is comparable. But I cannot always listen to this music as well. It can be too much.

[EttasFavourites]

@Strefanasha For me the main reason to upload this video is Bernstein.

[cellotuba]

I had the honor of playing the band arrangement of this with the UNT Symphonic Band, and playing it took me back to the feeling of absolute wonder I had when I had the opportunity to play Shostakovich Sym. No 1 up at Interlochen. Absolutely wonderful music. I didn't appreciate Shostakovich then anywhere near as much as I do now.

[travismc93]

had the joy of playing this in all-state in texas in 2011. we had Larry Livingston from USC conducting. The feeling after playing this was phenomenal.

[drojaz1]

Es tremendo y apoteosico el final.Dira que es el mas equilibrado al principio con la entrada del tema principal, y los timbales estan soberbios.He visto y oido otras versiones y hay una polemica con este video si Bernstein la imprimio mas velocidad, pero otros directores la interpretan muy lenta.Para mi es la mejor version; ademas la percusion esta MAGNIFICA, vean otros videos y notaran la diferencia.

[Dan474834]

Nice suits.

[hillcresthiker]

Lenny made the timpani sound slightly rushed but nevertheless- One of the top five climax' in all symphonic music- right up there with the Sibelius 2nd, the Bruckner 8th, Mahler 8th and Mahler 2nd

[drojaz1]

@hillcresthiker Are you sure but is tremendous or no?

[TheClassicalFun]

This symphony was written in 1937. With "1979" you obviously want to state the date of this concert, don't you?..

[EttasFavourites]

@TheClassicalFun Yes! 1979 is the date of this concert, and thank you for adding the information about the year 1937...... I don't know why but I am confused... Shostakovich composed this before I was born, and it feels as if now, while being old(er) myself, I am finally ready to receive the Beauty of this music. I needed all my life experiences to grow into it. To understand him. How great and incredibly huge his soul has been... I feel humble.

[TheClassicalFun]

Add to my favorites

[brianandrewstuart]

Bernstein is grooving

[myinterestingfish]

Anyone who doesn't get chills at the end is dead on the inside. Personally, the end is too fast for me, but Bernstein did it so it's okay.

[IZachDallen]

He's working out when he conducts...

[IZachDallen]

So beautiful, marvelous. Almost Mahlerian.

[shostalove]

This is just absolutely amazing. How did shostakovich compose such powerful music. And only Bernstein can conduct this piece so amazingly.

I am speechless.

[fremsley001]

Life-affirming.

[AndrewBandTelevision]

masterpiece :)