HutchFan

❤️

Beautiful.

Prompted by the discussion above: Now listening to DSCH's Tenth. The first movement: Relentless, bleak music that builds to such harrowing, intense climaxes. It makes my hair stand on end.

For me, Shostakovich's most compelling symphonies are the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, Tenth, Thirteenth, and Fifteenth. However, I wouldn't focus on the Thirteenth and Fifteenth until you've absorbed the earlier symphonies. In terms of conductors, along with Rozhdestvensky and Kondrashin, I would also recommend Barshai & Mravinsky. I also enjoy Haitink and Ormandy in DSCH -- even though (at times) their sounds aren't as idiomatic as Russian orchestras under Russian conductors. That said, for example, Haitink's Eighth is AMAZING. (I like it even better than Mravinsky's famous version of the 8th.) And Ormandy's Tenth is outstanding too. (Philadelphia actually has a tradition of performing Russian music, and Ormandy gave the American premieres of several DSCH works.) I like to think of Shostakovich as Mahler's heir. They have quite a bit in common, and DSCH loved Mahler's music -- especially Das Lied von der Erde. Of course, the circumstances of DSCH's life were very different than Mahler's, and understanding the particulars of DSCH's life in the Soviet Union is a critically important part of fully understanding his music. EDIT I watched this DSCH lecture recently and enjoyed it very much. Well worth a look.

DSCH's 12th Symphony is a bit of a pot-boiler -- not one of his best works. But I think Rozhdestvensky is a wonderful conductor & one of Shostakovich's finest interpreters. I'm happy to have Rozh's complete cycle of Shostakovich symphonies: For me -- along with Kondrashin's cycle -- this is the top of the heap.

More Paquito: Preach it, Brother! Oh yes, Buster's bass is one of the most wonderful sounds in jazz!

That's awesome, Gheorghe! Nice photo.

Disc 1

LP 2 of 2 - originally released as More Smiles

Next up:

Disc 6 - Brahms: Symphony No. 1 with the London PO It's fun to compare different interpretations of the same work.

Disc 18 - Brahms: Symphony No. 1 with the London SO

Jackie Cain & Roy Kral - Sweet and Lowdown (Columbia, 1960) Vocal - Jackie Cain Piano and Vocal - Roy Kral Alto Sax and Flute - Anthony Ortega Guitar - Barney Kessel Vibraphone - Larry Bunker Bass - Al McKibbon Drums - Frank Butler

Booker Ervin - Back from the Gig (Blue Note, released 1976) I'm listening to the second LP in this set, recorded in 1968 and issued on CD in 2005 as Tex Book Tenor. Excellent stuff.

Now playing: The MPS Rhythm Combination & Brass - Power Play (MPS/BASF, 1973) In Germany, this album was released as a 2-LP set. The version of Power Play released in the U.S. was abridged to a single disc. I have the U.S. version (unfortunately), which, in addition to having fewer tracks, almost certainly sounds less impressive AQ-wise than German pressings. [Sigh.] OTOH, something is better than nothing. 😜

I think you'll thoroughly enjoy both of those, T.D.!