Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 10 (2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 10 (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:20:25 minutes | 1,57 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mariinsky

The Third Symphony was first performed in January 1930, its final movement setting a text by Semyon Isaakovich Kirsanov praising May Day and the revolution. Shostakovich stated that the work “expresses the spirit of peaceful reconstruction” and yet much of the music is dark and sombre in tone.

The Tenth Symphony is one of his most popular and frequently heard works. It was first performed in December 1953 following Stalin’s death earlier that year, although Shostakovich had been working on much of the material incorporated in the symphony for many years. The great Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya claimed that the symphony was “a composer’s testament of misery, forever damning a tyrant”.

‘A winning Shostakovich disc from Gergiev and the Mariinsky… this is a very fine performance of the Tenth and probably as good a performance of the negligible Third as you’re likely to hear… Gergiev’s performance maps the eventful contours of this work [Symphony No 10] with great sensitivity. The melancholy first movement unfolds with a palpable sense of dread and sorrow, the second movement crackles with violent energy, and the third has all the sardonic wit of Mahler’s night-music interludes. The last movement builds to its wild celebratory final pages with the proper sense of inevitability. Throughout, the Mariinsky players give their all, fired up no doubt by the presence of a live audience. This is a very, very fine Tenth Symphony, certainly among the best in SACD.’ –Audiophile Audition

Tracklist:
01. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 3 in E flat major ‘First of May’ Op 20 – I. Allegretto (14:32)
02. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 3 in E flat major ‘First of May’ Op 20 – II. Allegro (09:56)
03. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 3 in E flat major ‘First of May’ Op 20 – III. Moderato (04:06)
04. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 10 in E minor Op 93 – I. Moderato (22:52)
05. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 10 in E minor Op 93 – II. Allegro (04:26)
06. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 10 in E minor Op 93 – III. Allegretto (11:33)
07. Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra – Symphony No 10 in E minor Op 93 – IV. Andante – Allegro (12:57)

Personnel:
Mariinsky Orchestra & Chorus
Valery Gergiev conductor

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