Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Download not available
Appallingly awful as the music is, everybody who knows and loves -- or thinks they know and love -- Shostakovich has to hear this disc. First, both pieces on it are essentially world-premiere recordings of substantial works from his prime as a composer. Second, both pieces show a side of Shostakovich that those who know and love only his heroic symphonies and intimate quartets may find surprising, even shocking: his vulgarity.
What else could the Soviet composer do? After being scathingly denounced in 1948 by the Central Committee of the Composer's Union, Shostakovich was reduced to writing scores for Social Realist blockbusters. Mosfilm, like everything else in the USSR, was run by Stalin, but the tyrant took a special interest in movies and functioned as producer and de facto editor for every film made in the USSR. He also made sure he appeared in as many films as possible portrayed as the benevolent genius of his people. Not surprisingly, the actors who played Stalin were invariably taller and better looking than the man himself. In 1949, Shostakovich was given the job of writing the score for The Fall of Berlin, an epic of the Great Patriotic War wrapped around a love story, and, in 1951, The Unforgettable Year 1919, another war movie, this one set during the civil war that followed the revolution.
As these dedicated recordings by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra under the singularly named Adriano conclusively demonstrate, Shostakovich's music here is truly, deeply, profoundly, and appallingly awful. His melodies are banal. His colors are primary. His rhythms are elementary. His forms are rudimentary. It's not that Shostakovich couldn't write great movie music -- many of his film scores from 1928's The New Babylon to 1970's King Lear are superlative -- it's that he seemingly saved his worst music for depicting the benevolent genius of his people. Through the Moscow Symphony's performances, the grotesque expressivity, superficial sincerity, and obvious irony of Shostakovich's music is made manifest. While those who don't already know and love Shostakovich might want to start with his heroic symphonies and intimate quartets, those who do already know and love Shostakovich but don't know this music owe it to themselves to hear this disc. It'll add a new dimension to the composer's personality. Naxos' sound is a bit harsh and a lot loud, but very effective.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Padeniye Berlina (The Fall of Berlin), Op. 82 (arr. Adriano for choir and orchestra)
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Anonymous, Lyricist - Adriano, Composer, Conductor - Moscow Capella, Choir - Moscow Youth Chorus, Choir
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
The Unforgettable Year 1919 Suite, Op. 89a (arr. L. Atovmyan for orchestra) (Lev Atovmyan)
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Dmitri Shostakovich, Composer - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra - Lev Atovmyan, Composer - Adriano, Conductor - Ellena Alekseyeva, Performer
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Album review
Appallingly awful as the music is, everybody who knows and loves -- or thinks they know and love -- Shostakovich has to hear this disc. First, both pieces on it are essentially world-premiere recordings of substantial works from his prime as a composer. Second, both pieces show a side of Shostakovich that those who know and love only his heroic symphonies and intimate quartets may find surprising, even shocking: his vulgarity.
What else could the Soviet composer do? After being scathingly denounced in 1948 by the Central Committee of the Composer's Union, Shostakovich was reduced to writing scores for Social Realist blockbusters. Mosfilm, like everything else in the USSR, was run by Stalin, but the tyrant took a special interest in movies and functioned as producer and de facto editor for every film made in the USSR. He also made sure he appeared in as many films as possible portrayed as the benevolent genius of his people. Not surprisingly, the actors who played Stalin were invariably taller and better looking than the man himself. In 1949, Shostakovich was given the job of writing the score for The Fall of Berlin, an epic of the Great Patriotic War wrapped around a love story, and, in 1951, The Unforgettable Year 1919, another war movie, this one set during the civil war that followed the revolution.
As these dedicated recordings by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra under the singularly named Adriano conclusively demonstrate, Shostakovich's music here is truly, deeply, profoundly, and appallingly awful. His melodies are banal. His colors are primary. His rhythms are elementary. His forms are rudimentary. It's not that Shostakovich couldn't write great movie music -- many of his film scores from 1928's The New Babylon to 1970's King Lear are superlative -- it's that he seemingly saved his worst music for depicting the benevolent genius of his people. Through the Moscow Symphony's performances, the grotesque expressivity, superficial sincerity, and obvious irony of Shostakovich's music is made manifest. While those who don't already know and love Shostakovich might want to start with his heroic symphonies and intimate quartets, those who do already know and love Shostakovich but don't know this music owe it to themselves to hear this disc. It'll add a new dimension to the composer's personality. Naxos' sound is a bit harsh and a lot loud, but very effective.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 01:15:15
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Adriano
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Naxos
- Genre: Classical
- Collection: Marco Polo Film Classics
2006 Naxos 2006 Naxos
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.