Symphonies, Vol. 6 – Symphonies Nos. 6 and 12 Naxos
8.572658
- Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
- Conductor: Vasily Petrenko
- Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Shostakovich’s Sixth and Twelfth Symphonies both had their origins in
large-scale projects about Lenin, though the Sixth was eventually to emerge as
one of the composer’s most abstract and idiosyncratic symphonies. The long,
intensely lyrical and meditative slow movement that opens the work is one of the
composer’s most striking. The Twelfth, one of the least played of
Shostakovich’s symphonies in the West, became less a celebration of
Lenin’s legacy than a chronological depiction of events during the Bolshevik
Revolution. ‘The playing is fabulously crisp and committed, while the
interpretations combine atmosphere and a sense of proportion—to the benefit of
the youthful First, which receives an eerily effective performance, free of
exaggeration.’
Symphonies, Vol. 6 – Symphonies Nos. 6 and
12 Review
The sixth volume in Vasily Petrenko's complete cycle of the symphonies
of Dmitry Shostakovich presents a peculiar match-up of the Symphony No. 6 in B
minor, an entirely abstract work, and the programmatic Symphony No. 12 in D
minor, “The Year 1917.” Such a pairing is only for the convenience of
organizing this set, so the two works need not be examined for any hidden
musical connections or common subject matter. In 1938, Shostakovich intended to
compose a setting of a Mayakovsky poem on Lenin, though by 1939 his ideas had
developed into the Sixth Symphony, devoid of any tribute to the Soviet leader.
Similarly, the Twelfth Symphony was conceived in 1960 as music for a
commemoration of Lenin, but by its 1961 premiere, the work was fully formed as
a depiction of events in the Bolshevik revolution. No matter what had been
originally suggested or removed in the course of composition,
Shostakovich's music in both symphonies is powerful and profoundly moving,
and the depth of the composer's personality comes through, with or without
narrative elements. Under Petrenko's leadership, the Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra is convincing in the performances, which convey the
pathos and excitement that mark the Sixth, and the intense Russian fervor and
heroism of the Twelfth. Naxos offers clear sound with a wide audio range, though
the extremes can be heard comfortably with minimal adjustment of the
volume. Blair Sanderson – All Music Guide