Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Yuri Temirkanov, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad"

Yuri brings me to Leningrad

classicaljc | North Point,, Hong Kong | 12/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I felt like I am in Leningrad every time when I hear this music.
Who else can conduct Shostakovich symphonies as good as Mr. Temirkanov. A superb symphony and a superb conductor. Please come to Hong Kong again and play this piece live for us."

A garish, shallow work that gets a great performance

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Seventh is one of Shostakovich's "patriotic" (i.e., pro-Soviet) symphonies, along with the Eleventh and Twelfth. At this remove in history, they all smell a bit propagandistic, but the Seventh, which memorializes the siege of Leningrad in WW II, won wide approval when it was premiered, largely for politicl, anti-Nazi reasons. The charm quickly wore off, and for a long time nobody really touched this sometimes garish, sometimesshallow but grandly conceived work. It needs a totally committed performance under a great conductor, and here it gets just that. The sonics are among the best I've heard, equal to Temirkanov's Petrouchka, also recorded under the same circumstances.



P.S. 2010 -- The Signum label seems to be bringing out live readings under Temirkanov, and their second release is an even better Shostakovich Seventh than this one on RCA, with impeccable sound and 6 min. shorn off the third movement."

The Power and the Energy Emerge from this Leningrad!

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yuri Temirkanov is a unique conductor. Seemingly less interested in fame and wide exposure through many recordings, he is none the less one of the old school masters of conducting. Hearing this gentleman live with a really superb orchestra is a lesson in passion. At a recent guest conducting post with the Los Angeles Philharmonic he proved that he can cajole more interpretive ideas from works as varying as the Ravel "Le tombeau de Couperin" and Debussy's "La Mer" as he can from his own standards such as the collection of scenes from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake". With no baton and minimal gestures he communicates with an orchestra as an alchemist. His tempi may be whirlwind and his attention to overall architecture of a work may not be wholly satisfying, but the inner phrases which he courts are splendidly realized.



Such is definitely the case with this phenomenal recording of Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony. Where others (such as Gergiev and Haitink) may have the work more in cohesive form, Temirkanov spills the soul and the anguish and the Russian spirit into the piece from the first notes. His approach seems to search out the drama, pause for reflection, then push forward to the climaxes. Doubtless a good part of this attention to hidden nuances is his long association with the work with his own St Petersberg Philharmonic Orchestra. He is on home ground here with his own band and the vision is clear.



For those who long to explore the drama of Shostakovich's works, this is definitely a recording to have in library. And with relatively few recordings that give us entry into this iconoclastic conductor, this recording is a must. Grady Harp, April 05"