Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 (Live) Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Mariss Jansons

• 1 I. Moderato 22:55
• 2 II. Allegro 04:37
• 3 III. Allegretto 12:33
• 4 IV. Andante - Allegro 13:09
• Total Runtime 53:14

Info for Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 (Live)

„My aim was to convey human feelings and passions in this work,“ Shostakovich said of his newly completed Tenth Symphony in 1953. And it is clear exactly what it was that he wanted to relate: Stalin was dead, and after his music had been publicly denounced for being too abstract in 1948, Shostakovich had finally plucked up the courage to write another symphony. With the Tenth Symphony, Shostakovich effectively put his memories of the great tyrant behind him.

Ever since Kirill Kondrashin and Bernard Haitink first led performances of Shostakovich's Symphonies in the late 1970's, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has astonished audiences and record buyers with their level of refinement and involvement in this repertoire. With the tenure of Mariss Jansons, a degree of authenticity is added; like Kondrashin before him, Jansons has experienced himself what it is like to work under Soviet conditions.

Following the award winning RCO Live release of his interpretation of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, Jansons's take on the composer's Tenth Symphony, presented in high-resolution audio, adds a another benchmark performance to the orchestra's discography.

“Jansons ensures scrupulous observance of Shostakovich’s markings … a distinguished reading” (International Record Review)

“Everything he does helps immaculate articulation; it can be fierce, but it's never wild. If you want to experience a Shostakovich Ten as beautiful sound, this is the recording for you, but it's not by any means the full story.” (BBC Music Magazine)

“The music of Shostakovich must be in Mariss Jansons’ blood...Jansons seems to me to demonstrate a firm grip on the vast, brooding first movement and he appears to have a very good grasp of the structure. He’s helped by superb playing by the orchestra.” (MusicWeb International)

“You expect quality from this source - and you get it here, in abundance...Ultimately it's all a matter of taste, of course, but there is such a thing as too good in this music where technique and finish should never trump the unvarnished truth.” (Gramophone Magazine)

“Jansons is able to make the music broad and expansive, which again plays to the strengths of both the orchestra and the hall. But he’s also able to maintain the drama and the tension...Jansons shows us that you can have the best of both worlds, provided that is, you’re conducting one of the world’s great orchestras in one of the finest acoustics available for a release at the cutting edge of modern recording technology” (Classical Review)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, conductor

Recorded Live at Concertgebouw Amsterdam on 29 January, 1 and 4 February 2009

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Booklet for Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 (Live)