Shostakovich Plays Shostakovich - Vol. 2
Symphony No. 10, opus 93 (arr. for piano duet by Shostakovich)[a], Four Preludes for Violin and Piano from 24 Preludes, opus 34 (arr. by Dmitri Tsyganov)[b], The Gadfly, opus 97, Introduction (arr. for piano by Shostakovich).
Dmitri Shostakovich (piano), Moisei Vainberg (piano)[a], Leonid Kogan (violin)[b].
Revelation RV 70002. ADD mono. TT 55:10.

This 1954 recording of the piano duet arrangement of the Tenth Symphony is the same to which Sam Silverman referred in his Vainberg discography (DSCH 8), having previously appeared on a double-mono Le Chant du Monde disc that is no longer available. Its return to the catalogue is most welcome, not only because it gives us the composer's interpretation of his symphonic masterpiece, but also because it represents the only available recording of his piano duet arrangement. To boot, we no longer have to contend with either re-wiring our stereos to have the recording play through both speakers or listening through only one speaker, as the double-mono incarnation required.

The relevance of tempos in the piano duet version to performance of the orchestral score is tenuous, not least because the piano is limited to percussive notes whereas strings and wind instruments aren't. With this difference in sustainability, it is unsurprising that timings for all but the third movement are the fastest I've seen on record, with the exception of Mitropoulos, who brought in the first movement five seconds sooner in his contemporary recording (CBS MPK 45698). Moreover, this arrangement has its own internal logic, and should not be thought of as a mere teaching guide to the original score. Consequently, this performance is not likely to reflect closely the tempos at which Shostakovich intended the symphony to be performed.

Nevertheless, it is significant that Shostakovich and Vainberg take longer over that third movement than do Mitropoulos, Mravinsky (e.g., Erato 2292-45753-2) or von Karajan (DG 429 716-2) in their classic accounts. The point of the movement has always been problematic, which may account for conductors' tendency to hurry through. Here, the piano duo is unafraid to allow the observer to stop and scan the surrounding emotional desert.

The piano duet arrangement also provides insight into performance of the orchestral version in that, by paring the voices to a minimum, Shostakovich reveals what he considers to be the essential features of his narrative. One such insight appears in the main climax of the third movement. The DSCH motto at first sounds undifferentiated from the surrounding notes, but as the conflict increases, the motto is hammered out with greater emphasis. The symbolism should be transparent.

Considering how aptly Shostakovich's orchestration conveys the symphony's contrasting moods, it is remarkable how little of the score's musical argument is lost in this reduction. Throughout, the main melodic lines are preserved intact.

Although Vainberg's pianistic skills were held in high regard, the playing in this collaboration is barely tolerable. There are mistakes aplenty, and phrasing is often garbled, probably as a result of insufficient rehearsal to get the two pianists playing in sync. While these booklet notes do not mention who is playing which part, Vainberg revealed in an interview that he had taken the upper register, leaving Shostakovich as the more ham-fisted of the two on the lower keyboard.

No such weaknesses of execution plague the four opus 34 Preludes that the Beethoven String Quartet's Dmitri Tsyganov arranged for violin and piano. Leonid Kogan demonstrates his characterful virtuosity, and Shostakovich is an able partner. Actually, the arrangement is unchallenging for the pianist, giving the violin the starring treble staff and leaving the piano with a purely supporting role on the bass. In Prelude No. 24, these roles flip midway, to give the suddenly more interesting bass melody to the violin, before switching back for the final bars where the treble clef again rules.

Perplexingly, Revelation's transfer cuts two semiquavers from the third to last bar of Prelude No. 24. Otherwise, sound quality of this recording is excellent, far exceeding that of the other two works on the disc.

The last of these is an excerpt from The Gadfly which will be familiar as the beginning of the Introduction movement from the film music suite. Running to under 2&1/2 minutes, played without subtlety, and fuzzily recorded, it is remarkable only for the fact that it appears to be the only known example of Shostakovich playing any of his film music. It's the symphony that really makes this CD another Revelation must-have.

W. Mark Roberts
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