Symphony No. 11 in G minor, op. 103, "The Year 1905".
Vakhtang Jordania, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Angelok1 ANG-CD-9903. DD. TT 57:14.
Recorded All Hallows Church, London, 5 July 1999.

This is the first in a projected complete set of Shostakovich symphonies from Georgian conductor Vakhtang Jordania on his new Angelok1 label ("angelok" means "little angel" in Russian, and refers to the label's sponsor). It is an auspicious beginning, breathing fresh life into this much-recorded work.

This performance's most striking feature is its brisk flow. The disc's total time shaves eleven minutes off the duration of my current digital favourite, James De Preist's spell-binding account with the Helsinki Philharmonic (Delos D/CD 3080). Listeners wedded to the musical equivalent of a hallowed historical epic may find Jordania's tempos to be unduly rushed. Others will discover that he makes events feel more immediate, more contemporary.

In many ways, the opening movement is the most illuminating; there is a genuine feeling of anticipation of momentous events to come. The performers enunciate in quiet, abrupt voices, as if afflicted by great tension. This is not so much a depiction of the icy palace square as a premonition of the trouble that will soon fill it.

Whether your mind peoples the second movement with milling crowds or you hear only notes, this traversal stimulates considerable excitement. The episode launches at a frenetic clip, but obviously even this is insufficient for Jordania's purposes, for when the guns let loose at Fig. 84 he accelerates without warning (or licence to do so from the score) from minim = 110 to a breathless minim = 152. The performers can barely maintain ensemble at this speed, heightening the sense of panic.

To be sure, In Memoriam sounds far more reverent at a more conventional pace - in De Preist's hands this movement lasts forty-five percent longer than in Jordania's. Yet Jordania's approach works on strictly musical grounds, unfolding as an organic process. Tempos are less precipitous in the final movement, with freer rubato that sits in the ear naturally, but not complacently.

The Royal Philharmonic seem perfectly attuned to Jordania's conception of the symphony. Special mention goes to the glassy ripples emanating from the violins in the first and final movements, and the sure-toned yet plaintive wind-solo work throughout. The recording casts the orchestra in a spacious, realistic acoustic.

Regrettably, there is an egregious editing flaw at the transition between second and third movements. These are performed attacca in concert, but were obviously recorded in separate sessions for this release, as the join into the third movement shears off the strings' first pizzicato note, leaving only its reverberation.

That flaw aside, Jordania's Eleventh presents a thought-provoking and persuasive alternative viewpoint, ably translated by fine playing. Strongly recommended to any who are willing to set aside preconceived notions of this symphony's programmatic and musical content.

W. Mark Roberts
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DSCH No. 15.
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