Dimitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 54 London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult, Conductor 1 I. Largo 19:53 2 II. Allegro 05:40 3 III. Presto 07:16 SHOSTAKOVICH: At this writing Russia’s Dmitri Shostakovich oped a remarkable satirical style in his work Symphony No. 6, Op. 54 (b. 1906) has completed eleven symphonies, of definite cinematic character. There was Sir Adrian Boult conducting the which fall in the following chronological also a vein of hardboiled modernism compa- London Philharmonic Orchestra order: rable to the young Hindemith of the Kleine Kammermusik for woodwinds. The Golden Symphony No. 1 in F Minor (1924-25) Age ballet (1929-30) and the Piano Concerto Symphony No. 2 (“Dedication to October”) with strings and trumpet (1933) are the best (1927) known of Shostakovich’s works in this vein. Symphony No. 3 (“May Day”) (1930) Symphony No. 4 (1935-36) Sollertinsky also got the composer interested Symphony No. 5 (1937) in the work of Gustav Mahler, and at the same Symphony No. 6 (1939) time Shostakovich began to enrich his lyrical Symphony No. 7 (“Leningrad”) (1941-42) resources, gradually moving away from brit- Symphony No. 8 (1942) tle satire; but he was not allowed to develop Symphony No. 9 (1945) this wholly in his own way. His opera, Lady Symphony No. 10 (1953) Macbeth of Mzensk (1930-32) – the scenario Symphony No. 11 (“The Year 1905”) (1957) of which might be called a Russian counter- part to Erskine Caldwell – enjoyed a great The First stands as an incredibly brilliant success in its early performances, and even student piece, written as Shostakovich’s was played here in the United States under graduation piece from the Leningrad Artur Rodzinski’s baton. An end to freedom Conservatory. That the music still remains came in January of 1936, when the Central in the active concert repertoire is sufficient Committee of the Communist Party of the tribute to the composer’s essential creative U.S.S.R. began turning attention to what gift. The Second and Third symphonies are might be called “political coordination of strictly Communist Party propaganda pieces the arts.” “Lady Macbeth” was picked as the in outward content – both contain “agitprop” scapegoat for a blast in Pravda, the results of finales with chorus, but examination of the which held grave threats for Shostakovich’s Second Symphony reveals a strong pre- future professional standing. He was told occupation with the dissonant polyphonic in effect to layoff the smart-alec satire and techniques of Central European music of the dernier cri modernism. That Stalin had no period – a pre-occupation that was to be fos- love for the ultra-modern in the arts was no tered to an even greater degree during the great secret. ‘30s and ‘40s through his friendship with the brilliant Leningrad critic, musicologist and Shostakovich began work on a Fourth linguist, Ivan Sollertinsky. These were the Symphony, a work which marked a drastic days when creative art was relatively free transition from the terse and brittle qual- in the Soviet Union, so far as experimental ity of his early works to the sometimes all- techniques were concerned. Shostakovich too-expansive length of his Seventh and took full advantage of the situation – and, Eighth symphonies. The music was placed perhaps because of his years of having played in rehearsal in late 1936 by the Leningrad piano in the Leningrad movie houses, devel- Philharmonic, but was withdrawn after hos- tile reactions from the orchestra. Though the of fact, it is the Violin Concerto (1955) and composer never allowed the full score to be the Trio in E Minor (1944) dedicated to the performed, a 2-piano score was published in memory of Ivan Sollertinsky, which remain 1946 and this shows the three movements to Shostakovich’s most truly perfect and inte- take a good hour-and-a-quarter in perform- grated mature efforts. ance. The earlier satirical vein is blatantly evident in places, but there is also clear indi- The Sixth Symphony holds a special place in cation of the powerful lyric manner of his Shostakovich’s oeuvre because it established best later work, but with no harmonic water- a pattern which he carried out on several ing down to please the politicians. From here later occasions – that of beginning a large- on it seems clear that Shostakovich’s future scale score with a long slow movement (the work would fall into two categories – music Eighth Symphony being the most striking written to please himself with as bold an later instance in point). In this case we have idiom as could be gotten away with, and an intensely lyrical and meditative Largo, music for public and quasi-political occa- whose main theme is established clearly at sions. the very outset. The characteristic ascend- ing interval of its first two notes establish The Fifth Symphony is a mixed affair in this the groundwork for the brooding second respect – very conservative, and yet possess- theme which is developed at length over a ing a genuine lyricism that makes the slow continuous background of trills from various movement convincingly impressive. The sections of the orchestra. The whole casts a scherzo is straight out of Mahler (the First brooding spell both poignant and hypnotic. Symphony). The Seventh and Eight sym- The remaining two movements are together phonies are gigantic war frescoes – the last shorter than the opening movement. There two movements of the Seventh and the first, is a scherzo Allegro, stunningly scored, which third and fourth of the Eighth worthy to comes to a raucous but not vulgar climax. stand with the best Russian or international Its final pages are worthy of a 20th century 20th century music. Both works require Mendelssohn. The finale is straight “public more than an hour in performance. square” Shostakovitch, trivial but enjoyable for all that, winding up with a marching The Ninth is Haydnesque in scale, almost tune that might well accompany a Komsomol a throwback to the early Piano Concerto in parade down Red Square. some respects, but offering also elements of quasi-Mahlerian lyricism. It is not, nor Original Liner Notes by DAVID HALL was it meant to be “important” music. The Tenth Symphony is something else again, for here Shostakovich has attempted to inte- grate the terseness of his First Symphony with the expansive lyrical quality of the best of his later work. The result is not wholly successful in some respects - one suspects more manner than inspiration. As a matter Some notes on the history of Everest …from the original LP release: system, but naturally will be most appreci- Records and the digital remastering ated by the audiophile with the very finest hi-fi “This Everest Recording is a Product of equipment. When EVEREST recordings are When Everest Records was founded by Harry Belock Recording, a division of the Belock played in the Belock studio through top quality Belock in 1958 as a division of Belock Instru- Instrument Corp. 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Harry Belock, founder of the company, All EVEREST recordings are free of audible was the basis for the highly acclaimed typical is an international authority on sound, and distortion throughout the entire frequency “Everest-sound”. has designed magnetic film recorders which range. Carefully wipe surface with soft damp are in use throughout the world. To EVEREST cloth. Return to wrapper after each play.” For the process of digital remastering of the ½ he brings all his talents and the vast techni- inch master tapes an Otari MX-5050 machine cal resources of his company. This recording was used for analog playback. The output was was made in the new Belock Recording studio, captured in highest digital resolution of 192 which is constructed along the most advanced kHz sampling rate and 24 bit word length ideas in acoustics for recording. The very latest using state-of-the-art converters. In the digital Telefunken, AKG and Neumann microphones domain the recording was carefully restored were utilized, feeding into the new Ampex 300 Executive Producer: Mark Jenkins for Countdown and remastered using top-quality mastering self-sync stereo recorders on half inch tape.