Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141[a]; Violin Concerto No. 2 in C# minor, Op. 129[b].
Kirill Kondrashin, The Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmony (Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra), David Oistrakh (violin)[b].
Icone ICN-9408-2. ADD. TT 69:49.
Recorded 27 May 1974[a]/13 September 1967 (listed incorrectly as 21 Feb. 1967)[b], Concert Hall of Radio Moscow.
[b]Reissue of world première recording.

Here is the very same famous performance of the Fifteenth Symphony as reappeared most recently on BMG/Melodiya's Kondrashin cycle (coupled with the Ninth; Melodiya 74321198462). As BMG have yet to release these discs in North America, despite their availability in other markets for four years, this appearance on Icone Classics is welcome.

But better burn the accompanying notes, which are banal at best, downright incompetent at worst, consisting of a breathless sprint through Shostakovich's biography, with not a single word of description about the music on this CD. Indeed, all that the author (who wisely remains anonymous) has to say about the Fifteenth Symphony is that it "is one of four symphonies subtitled "The Year 1917." It was completed in 1961." Um ... that would be Symphony No. 12, and if there are three other symphonies bearing that subtitle, they're not Shostakovich's. The transmogrifying of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra's name as "The Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmony" is also unfortunate, as it is bound to sow confusion in the catalogues.

Listening to this performance again, it is clear why it is one of the most highly regarded entries in the Kondrashin cycle, and why for many it remains a top recommendation for the Fifteenth. The musicianship in this virtual concerto for orchestra is first-class throughout. Kondrashin's first movement, at 7:02, is faster than even the fleet-footed Mravinsky (with the Leningrad Philharmonic; Melodiya 74321-25192-2) by over half a minute. This is not a toy-shop, but a lunatic asylum. Kondrashin turns in one of the most paranoia-inducing second movements on disc, his orchestra playing with a pent-up intensity that produces the sensation of eyes boring into one's forehead.

Not to say that the entire performance is emotionally unvarying; take for instance the carefree, true-piano string work in the melody that takes up at Fig. 143/11:30 in the finale, presumably signifying a coming-to-terms with the preceding stirrings of the Wagner Fate motif. Thus the succession of divided whistles on winds and the eerie celesta ascension feel all the more disquieting, denying a comfortable contemplation of the end.

This is easily superior to Mravinsky's 1976 reading, which sounds tame by comparison, and is a must-have performance for anyone with an interest in the symphony. It should be noted that Icone's remastering has less analogue hiss than Melodiya's, the recording coming up so well that one could almost be fooled into thinking one was listening to a modern triple-D production. The disc's cueing, however, is unnecessarily stingy, with no new track for the third movement of the symphony.

The Second Violin Concerto gets only two tracks, and all we find out about it in the notes is the year of its composition - correct, mercifully. But the annotator has demoted it to Opus 29. Furthermore, Shostakovich did not complete the concerto until May 1967 and it did not receive its première under Oistrakh until 13 September 1967, so the recording date given here, 21 February 1967, is impossible. In reality, this is the recording of the première concert, which has been reissued over a half dozen times since its original appearance and is still currently available on Russian Disc (who also list the recording date incorrectly, as 1968; RDCD 11025)[the Russian Disc release has been deleted since this review first appeared, but the same recording of the Second Violin Concerto resurfaces on RCA Red Seal's 2-CD album entitled David Oistrakh: The Essential).

This is a very subdued performance, cloaked by unending dusk throughout the first and second movements. Such outbursts as are unavoidable are reluctant and restrained. Even in the frenetic third movement, both soloist and orchestra resist any glimmer of light. The work becomes a half-hour-long Nocturne, a gloomy and depressing experience - which is obviously exactly what the performers intended.

Two essential performances, then, marred by poor quality control in the documentation.

W. Mark Roberts
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DSCH No. 10.
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