I have loved this piece ever since I first heard on Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Very eerie and yet subtle in so many ways. It worked perfectly in the series as an exploration of space theme.
@alucard624 I love all of Shostakovich's music but the 11th is my favorite of his. I think one reason is that it does have that sort of sci-fi sound to it.
This is indeed a great symphony. But assertions that it is the 'greatest' are ridiculous as well as inane.
Look: it isn't a contest, okay? Shostakovich simply wanted to transmit his experience and personsl feelings, just as every other great composer ever did.
It is consummately STUPID to "rate" a work of artistry according to one's personal tastes: if one doesn't understand ("get it") how great composers can deliver personal communication through their music, they will never know.
It's Russia. It's 1905. The first worker's council (soviet) has been formed by the women weavers of Ivanovo. Democracy is in the air. The bugle call to arms against absolutism has been sounded. A new dawning, a beginning from darkness towards the light.
Thank you for posting this,wow what a thrill to be the timpanist in this symphony,you cant let your concentration relax for one second,i love this performance,of course Valery Gergiev is russian,and has a great insight and understanding of the history of his country.Arigato gozaimas.
Such an incredible piece! Shostakovich captures the mood so effectively in the strings, and you can never quite tell which way the music is going to twist and turn!
i was looking for tickets for my very first classic concert to visit to, en i stumbled on rach's piano concerto 2, allong with this piece.. never heard this before so i checked it out, just listened to it completely, en bought some tickets right away :), it's gonna be awesome, such an amazing symphony this is.. too bad i have to wait a half year now for that experience, but it's gonna be worth waiting
During that mid-1980's SFO performance of the #11 , the audience that day was dominated by senior citizens wheeled in from all over the Bay Area. These folks were uplifted by the peppy preceding Mozart pieces but the 1st third of the laborious 11th had put these seniors to sleep. The shattering, raucous mvt. depicting the cossack slaughter created a cacaphony of falling canes and crutches from awakened seniors seniors greater than the roaring orchestra! What a hoot!
I heard this performed live at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco with Leonard Slatkin guest conducting the SFO around 1984 or 85. In a prologue to the audience, Slatkin stated that though, formally, this was a paen to the "First Russian Revolution" in 1905, it was actually Shostakovich's esoteric dedication to the failed Hungarian Uprising against Soviet Russian domination in 1955(6?).......
I was lucky enough to be playing principal trumpet on this concert and I want to share with you my experience on that evening, which was one of the best concerts of my life!
The energy on stage was unbelivable, and we did not simply play the symphony, we told the story of the 1905 Failed Russian Revolution thru music, thanks to Gergiev. In my humble opinion he is the greatest conductor of our time!
Marlon Humphreys
Principal Trumpet of Orquestra Filarmonica de Minas Gerais
I was introduced to this music by Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" tv series. It pictures so deeply the magnitude of the universe that it's rooted in my soul. I have learned about the revolution trying to understand what Shostakovich had in his mind when ho he composed this, however no amount of history will drive away the image of the magnitude of the universe from my mind.
11th symphony is to me is like an old sailor who, time after retiring, discovers the sea is inside him by observing a ship docking for the first time after a long time away from the coast. Only this time is us (Human race) discovering the whole universe is inside each one of us by looking at the earth from a distance. I consider this music one of the most powerful "initiation" tools available to mankind. Being part of it playing an instrument in a orquestra must be a powerful experience as well.
What does the PMF Orchestra mean?
gjyyngii 1 month ago
I have loved this piece ever since I first heard on Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Very eerie and yet subtle in so many ways. It worked perfectly in the series as an exploration of space theme.
alucard624 3 months ago
Arrakis...also known as Dune...wait, nevermind
rumbler227 4 months ago
@rumbler227 It almost does sound like something you would hear in relation to Dune. Good call.
alucard624 3 months ago
@alucard624 Trip to Arrakis, to be precise. Good work!
wozza2341 2 months ago
@alucard624 I love all of Shostakovich's music but the 11th is my favorite of his. I think one reason is that it does have that sort of sci-fi sound to it.
L0rdR4hl 1 week ago
Is it time to fold space?
HighPriestofLemuria 6 months ago
Wow! This is Epic! Sounds like a battle just took place and the dead still litter the field.
jabberwock11 8 months ago
This is indeed a great symphony. But assertions that it is the 'greatest' are ridiculous as well as inane.
Look: it isn't a contest, okay? Shostakovich simply wanted to transmit his experience and personsl feelings, just as every other great composer ever did.
It is consummately STUPID to "rate" a work of artistry according to one's personal tastes: if one doesn't understand ("get it") how great composers can deliver personal communication through their music, they will never know.
smartingamerica 10 months ago
It's Russia. It's 1905. The first worker's council (soviet) has been formed by the women weavers of Ivanovo. Democracy is in the air. The bugle call to arms against absolutism has been sounded. A new dawning, a beginning from darkness towards the light.
ZOGGYDOGGY 1 year ago 2
You could create a war movie around this whole piece, i heard this from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra live
cuboy01 1 year ago
Is he conducting with a toothpick???
AquaExecution 1 year ago
hands down shostakovich is one of the greatest if not the best symphonists of all time.
hyeonj315 1 year ago
@hyeonj315
it's a great great symphonists, but for me Mahler is greatest ^^
777wallaby777 1 year ago
@777wallaby777 they are 2 genious like Mozart or Beethoven !
vince89130 5 months ago
@vince89130
they were genius' at what they did. there are many genius' at many things.
444Hatter444 3 months ago
@bsaxagent In my opinion one of the greatest symphonies ever written, up there with Beethoven's greatest.
Nuker1337 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this,wow what a thrill to be the timpanist in this symphony,you cant let your concentration relax for one second,i love this performance,of course Valery Gergiev is russian,and has a great insight and understanding of the history of his country.Arigato gozaimas.
davebournemouth 1 year ago
Such an incredible piece! Shostakovich captures the mood so effectively in the strings, and you can never quite tell which way the music is going to twist and turn!
ewhguitarist 1 year ago
@bsaxagent Hm? It is his 11 symph! It was written 1957 I think?
gwozdezzz 1 year ago
i was looking for tickets for my very first classic concert to visit to, en i stumbled on rach's piano concerto 2, allong with this piece.. never heard this before so i checked it out, just listened to it completely, en bought some tickets right away :), it's gonna be awesome, such an amazing symphony this is.. too bad i have to wait a half year now for that experience, but it's gonna be worth waiting
miepdetruus 1 year ago
During that mid-1980's SFO performance of the #11 , the audience that day was dominated by senior citizens wheeled in from all over the Bay Area. These folks were uplifted by the peppy preceding Mozart pieces but the 1st third of the laborious 11th had put these seniors to sleep. The shattering, raucous mvt. depicting the cossack slaughter created a cacaphony of falling canes and crutches from awakened seniors seniors greater than the roaring orchestra! What a hoot!
rostovgorki 2 years ago
I heard this performed live at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco with Leonard Slatkin guest conducting the SFO around 1984 or 85. In a prologue to the audience, Slatkin stated that though, formally, this was a paen to the "First Russian Revolution" in 1905, it was actually Shostakovich's esoteric dedication to the failed Hungarian Uprising against Soviet Russian domination in 1955(6?).......
rostovgorki 2 years ago
DUDE nightowl!!!!! Kubo, can you send me a link to a high-quality copy of this? Marlon, how are you?
lanstein 2 years ago
If you look (or better yet, hear) you will notice a mute inside the bell of the horn. Where is the hand to go ?
clarimacy 2 years ago
What is with that first horn player's right hand position!?
Haeronthegreat 2 years ago
If the Voyager 1 was a manned spacecraft, this is the piece of art they would be listening through as they travel into the vastness of the Universe
heymissdeejay 2 years ago
such a profound piece of music. I never tire of hearing it.
jf98661 2 years ago 3
I really like this video.
Kubota-san> Nice timpani sound, I like it.
Marlon>Man, your trumpet playing is great, I miss playing with you.
-E
Nightowl1981 2 years ago
>marlon
Hi,that time was really exting!!(I play timpani)
I saw Maestro at Tokyo in 2006 March,
he remember this performance,and he told too!
>1udwi6
yes,hr is Alma.
TakeshiKubota 3 years ago
Congratulations MHTRUMPET!! You are one of the priviledged ones to ever play a genius like Shostakovich, and under another great one like Gergiev.
TheEternaut 3 years ago
Is that Alma???
1udwi6 3 years ago
Hi,
I was lucky enough to be playing principal trumpet on this concert and I want to share with you my experience on that evening, which was one of the best concerts of my life!
The energy on stage was unbelivable, and we did not simply play the symphony, we told the story of the 1905 Failed Russian Revolution thru music, thanks to Gergiev. In my humble opinion he is the greatest conductor of our time!
Marlon Humphreys
Principal Trumpet of Orquestra Filarmonica de Minas Gerais
mhtrumpet 3 years ago 2
I was introduced to this music by Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" tv series. It pictures so deeply the magnitude of the universe that it's rooted in my soul. I have learned about the revolution trying to understand what Shostakovich had in his mind when ho he composed this, however no amount of history will drive away the image of the magnitude of the universe from my mind.
FIREFLYCLASS 2 years ago 2
11th symphony is to me is like an old sailor who, time after retiring, discovers the sea is inside him by observing a ship docking for the first time after a long time away from the coast. Only this time is us (Human race) discovering the whole universe is inside each one of us by looking at the earth from a distance. I consider this music one of the most powerful "initiation" tools available to mankind. Being part of it playing an instrument in a orquestra must be a powerful experience as well.
FIREFLYCLASS 2 years ago 7
@FIREFLYCLASS moi ça me fait penser à la formation de la terre il y a 5 milliards d'années
vince89130 5 months ago