Album

Dmitry Shostakovich's sardonic Symphony No. 4 in C minor (1935-1936) marks an important stage in his career, for it was the last of his early, avant-garde symphonies; because his experimental tendencies provoked hostile criticism in Pravda (most likely written by Stalin to make Shostakovich fear for his life), the symphony was withheld from performance until 1961. As a result of its rather late appearance in the repertoire, it is one of the least familiar of Shostakovich's 15 symphonies, and even though it has received a respectable number of performances over the years, it is still less frequently recorded than the perennially popular Symphony No. 5 or the Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad." Yet this is one of Shostakovich's most intellectually stimulating and emotionally challenging scores, for it is crammed with ideas, and its gargantuan form, mordant themes, elaborate developments, and expressive extremes make it comparable to Mahler's symphonies (especially with its pointed references to the Second, Sixth, and Seventh symphonies). Semyon Bychkov and the WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologne add this powerful work to their impressive series of Shostakovich recordings on Avie, and their masterful performance is enhanced by the splendid DSD sound of this hybrid SACD; spine-tingling climaxes and awe-inspiring depths are achieved in this superb recording, and the performance has a strongly ironic and sometimes bitterly sarcastic character that is entirely in keeping with the composer's idiom. There are a few times when Bychkov's interpretation might seem too harsh and exaggerated, but on the whole, this vigorous performance communicates Shostakovich's intentions with accuracy and authority, and it may be counted as one of the most successful renditions on disc.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1
Dmitri Shostakovich Composer Symphony No.4 in C-, Op.43 Work 1:04:18 WDR Sinfonie Orchester Köln Orchestra, Semyon Bychkov Conductor
1	1.Allegretto poco moderato. Presto	27:48			Album Only
2	2.Moderato con moto	8:58			$0.99
3	3.Largo. Allegro1. Allegro2	27:32			Album Only