Shostakovich: The Film Album

Continuing Riccardo Chailly's topical Shostakovich recordings (he's already visited the composer's jazz-inflected and dance pieces), this collection of music for film offers the series greater heft. The music here is as entangled in politics and pop culture as the jazzy and dancy material, but here the emotions are more complex and the execution more exciting.

The films Shostakovich was scoring somehow sought legitimacy or outright approval from Soviet power regimes, but as in all his music, Shostakovich enacted subtle subversions. The parade-step march cadences of The Counterplan are exaggerated just enough to integrate all kinds of conflicting dark undertows, emphasized coyly by Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The excerpts from Alone are all over the map, spooky and turbulent and bleak in equal measures, in answer to so many mandated bright, blasting musical ventures elsewhere in the Soviet cultural regime. The works continue until 1967, with a twisty waltz from Sofia Perovskaya, which seems more like a distant comment on the notion of a dance piece than music scripted for dance. For its mix of big, lit sweeps and minute, shadowy motions, this is one of the best single-CD Shostakovich sets--themed or not--in print. --Andrew Bartlett Amazon.com essential recording

Another Sensational Recording by Chailly

This recording of Shostakovich's film scores is one of three in a series by conductor Riccardo Chailly. In this particular CD, Chailly is conducting the stupendous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. While the music presented on this disc may not be as memorable or exciting as that found on the other two CDs, it shows a glimpse into the genious that was Shostakovich's orchestrations. Don't get me wrong, the music is fantastic and wonderful!

The sound is of the highest caliber and, as expected, the quality and vitality of interpretation is second to none. An amazing recording well worth your money! Out of the hundreds of classical CDs in my library, these three featuring Chailly with the music of Shostakovich are amongst my very favorite. September 20, 2007

A Little Gift I Treasure Very Much!

I have always been very good about seeing my doctors, etc. regularly, and taking good care of myself.

~flashback to 2002, at my opthalmologist's, and have just had dialators placed in my eyes, and have been shuttled into the inner waiting room until I am ready for my examination. Dr. "D" always had classical music playing at a "just right" level for relaxing. This particular day, this lovely, lilting, and sort of hypnotic piece came over the speakers, lulling me nearly to sleep. I could not get it out of my head, and was still "playing it" in my brain after the visit was over and I was at the reception desk, paying his wife for my visit, and scheduling a two week follow-up. I asked her what had been playing, and so she went in and brought out the two album cases that were in the machine. One was Schubert sonatas--I knew it wasn't that. The other album was this one, the Shostakovich film music. So I thanked her, and said I'd have to watch for it. When I went back for my follow-up, she passed me a little foil shopping bag with a ribbon on the top of it with a cheery "Enjoy, Greg"! In the bag was a copy of this album that she had picked up for me! (Such a lovely lady)

When I got home I played it, and the piece is the op.97, Romance from Gadfly...what a lovely piece of music. Just like a lazy summer afternoon, when you would, surely, see these insects floating indolently in the air.

The other pieces are all very interesting, and fun, too, and this is a wonderful foray into unknown or uncharted waters (at least for me). I love this album, and listen fairly frequently to it. There are 3 albums in a series, this "Film" one, a "Jazz" one, and the "Dance" one. I enjoy all of them, but this one I play most frequently.

Riccardo Chailly is a truly great conductor, I feel, and is one of the few that "take me back", or "make me think about" the conductors from earlier that I remember. This album in particular makes me think, fondly, about Stokowski, and Reiner frequently when I play it. Presentation? Or something else? I do not know, but it does, and, it IS a great album. A worthy addition to your collection, be assurred. ~operabruin July 23, 2007

recording of ligfhter music by Shos the heavy composer

This recording is excellent. The works are rather light so one does not notice at first that the recording is that good. After some listebning I notice and i Am sure you will do too. Pirogorov and Sofia Petrovskaja i like best. Great recording. November 24, 2005

yep, i'd agree

This is the perfect album for anyone who believes Shostakovich was only capable of writing music that expressed his inner turmoil.
Here is an album of the composer just doing his job (writing soundtracks for propaganda films) and showing he's capable of playing the field like a consummate pro.
Many of the melodies may sound vaguely familiar, and it's no wonder; they were often pilfered by other assembly line arrangers for Hollywood musicals and other upbeat entertainment.
I'd have to agree with the previous reviewer, who thinks track 25 is the best. It's the Romance from "The Gadfly", which is arguably Shostakovich's greatest melody, played here with perfection; the "lazy" pizzicato and slightly staggered fourth beat in the measure is something I haven't heard before on this piece, and it works very nicely for these ears. December 29, 2004

A Unique Collection of Works

The film scores of Dmitri Shostakovich are certainly not his best works, but they are definetly worth a look. There is a great range of music on this CD, from the joyful 'Tale of the Silly Little Mouse' to the harshness of 'Hamlet', and Chailly and his players give solid performances throughout. I wouldn't really recommend this as an introduction to Shostakovich's works, but if you're a fan, then it would make a great addition to your collection. November 25, 2000

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