Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony #7, “Leningrad” - Mariss Jansons, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - RCO Live SACD
I heard this massive, inspiring symphony live last season with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nezet-Sequin. It was truly awesome and led me much deeper into the music itself than I had ever been before. Then, last Sunday, there was a replay of that concert on local FM radio (WRTI). I did not hear it all, but I was again so entranced by the brilliance of the music. So, a few nights later, I played this recording from one of my very favorite labels, in Mch, of course.
I was not disappointed. The performance was stunning, the orchestra is a world treasure, and the sound on this label is consistently very top tier. I was very deeply moved by it.
Composition was begun by Shostakovich during his residency there at the beginning of the terrifying 900-day siege by the Nazis. Fortunately, he, as a VIP, was quickly evacuated early to complete it in safer environs. It was premiered in the West via a microfilm copy of the score, but also frequently performed in Russia during the war as an inspirational propaganda piece. Possibly as a result, the symphony fell out of favor among Western music critics post-war compared to the composer’s other compositions.
But, hopefully, it is back to its rightful place as one of Shostakovich’s very greatest compositions. It continues to haunt me. It is a work of inspired genius. And, this recording serves it extremely well. Probably, I will give it another listen very soon, though perhaps a different version.
Maestro Shostakovich is definitely on my top-10 list of greatest composers ever.