Live: Mravinsky Conducts Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 With the Leningrad Philharmonic 1960 (BBC)

[maestrob]

A searing performance recorded by the BBC live in concert in London in 1960. Excellent stereo sound. Not to be missed. Mravinsky's best recorded performance by far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GK2NPgHzK0

"Symphony No 8" op.65 by Dmitri Shostakovich
I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo - Adagio
II. Allegretto
III. Allegro non troppo
IV. Largo
V. Allegretto
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
Yevgeny Mravinsky, conductor
Live recording, London, 23.IX.1960

[Holden Fourth]

Absolutely, a wonderful performance.

What Shostakovich asks of his brass players in the third movement borders on the impossible unless you take a moderate tempo which Mravinsky doesn't - it's one the fastest third movements on record and you can hear the little mistakes in intonation these brass players make as they try to keep up which somehow adds to the performance.

Then there's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RRdbeu ... evin-Topic

This is even faster yet the LSO players are note and pitch perfect. This is my favourite Shostakovich 8 with the Mravinsky a close second.

[Rach3]

Kondrashin’s 1961 recording with Moscow Phil. fine,too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FYItK8JS4Q

[maestrob]

Kondrashin’s 1961 recording with Moscow Phil. fine,too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FYItK8JS4Q

Yes,I grew up with that one on blue label Melodiya LPS. Now I have it as part of his complete cycle issued on cds briefly about 15 years ago.

[Lance]

MRAVINSKY: Now there's a name in great conducting! The only recording I have with Mravinsky of Symphony #8 is the 1947 Melodiya, which was included in the second 10-CD set volume of the RCA/Melodiya edition [29459]. I have quite a few other Shostakovic symphonies with the conductor. The 8th must be the same as the old blue label LP you alluded to.

Kondrashin’s 1961 recording with Moscow Phil. fine,too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FYItK8JS4Q

Yes,I grew up with that one on blue label Melodiya LPS. Now I have it as part of his complete cycle issued on cds briefly about 15 years ago.

[Heck148]

The 1960 BBC Mravinsky/LenPO DS 8 is a great performance of this powerful symphony...
Along with Solti/CSO it is my favorite Shost 8...in both cases, the conductors take us on a amazing musical journey...full of ups and downs...tranquility and savage violence....this is not the glory of war, but rather the terrible devastation left in its wake...the death, destruction, desolation; the grinding, gnashing violence of mechanized warfare...ultra-industrial strength Shostakovich.
I've heard many. many recordings of this work, but those two stand head and shoulders above the pack....I used to have Kondrashin/MoscowPO on LP...that was a powerful one, too.