Jurowski plays: Shostakovich, Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1943) Op. 65

[@harryhagan5937]

I was listening earlier today to the Atlanta Symphony's rendition. Both they and this orchestra are excellent versions. It struck me that Mr. Shostakovich perfectly portrays a time in Russia of fear, tyranny, forlornness, and loneliness. A time devoid of God, or any notion of a loving Supernatural divinity to give comfort to us poor humans. Neighbor squealed on neighbor, and families reported each other. Millions died unspeakable deaths. Shostakovich himself lived much of his life unsure of what might happen next. The midnight knock on the door. Horrors.

[@gavriilpolyntsev5449]

What orchestra does Jurowski conduct in this video?

[@harryhagan5937]

@@gavriilpolyntsev5449 The Helsinki Philharmonic.

[@jamiesonspencer3841]

I admire the wonderfully inventive ways he works on a simple three-note phrase. Entire second movement is devoted to it. And it is how he ends the sad final movement.

[@technik-lexikon]

I wouldn't call it a sad ending. In comparison to the ending of the Fourth symphony, this here is rather meditative.

[@ljiljanastanic9076]

37:40 OMG...Top...This symphony is my magnet!!!Every time when appears on YT.,I leave everything to listen!!!❤🖤❤🖤❤🖤❤🖤🖤🖤💙💙💙🖤🖤❤

[@briansmith1882]

At 37:40, it is the beginning of a Passacaglia, a magnificent set of variations on a repeating bass line. Bach was the master of this.

[@clamanus]

@@briansmith1882 i see Stalin when I am listening to it

[@chingizelemanov2186]

0:32 I Adagio 24:35 II Allegretto 31:18 lll Allegro non troppo 37:25 IV Largo 47:14 V Allegretto

[@eileenneary]

Magnificent

[@asteroidproject]

Beautiful! I don’t understand why this symphony isn’t performed more often. It’s my favourite of Shostakovich.

[@BobbyLCollins]

It's incredibly difficult. The 3rd movement is especially problematic for several reasons. The trombones tend to drag the tempo down when they play the ostinato, the trio tends to completely fall apart because of the way the meter is scored, especially the "oom-pa oom-pa oom-pa oom-pa", even the most professional musicians lose count during the double bass ostinato for some reason, and the trumpets struggle with the triple tonguing at that tempo (which is why that part is usually rewritten to double tonguing on most recordings, including this one). Also, this symphony is a huge downer, so there's that too. Regardless, what a piece!

[@playerxxx]

@@BobbyLCollins I appreciate your comment about the difficult of this musical work. Would you mind to set the time of the video that occurs the things you pointed? I would like to know about these moments. Much thanks.

[@Tortuosit]

Have only seen #1 and #5 - in desperate need of a live play of 8, 11, 15, 10 (my order of importance).

[@karespratt5131]

I do think it’s an underrated symphony but I can see it being a bit too serious for some people

[@Tortuosit]

@@karespratt5131 Yes. Maybe too serious for the average concert visitor. But definitely amongst peoples favourite DSCH symphonies (maybe 5, 8, 10 as the most loved ones). And SQ # 8, super dark and serious, is the most popular DSCH SQ.

[@scuunjieng]

thank you for the post. from the opening knew it was going to be exceptional

[@o.dalton194]

I think my favourite part about this performance is the complete freedom given to the English hornist during their solo in the first movement. It's a ridiculously demanding solo and having the freedom to wait between phrases and gather yourself makes a huge difference. In most recordings I've seen/heard of this it feels rushed in places where it feels natural for there to be a longer pause than what's technically written in the part. And the conductor here knows exactly when to be beating and when to let the soloist take control. Just my thoughts as an aspiring English hornist (who hopes to one day play/listen to this amazing symphony).

[@stuman273]

Love this, as I do a lot of Shostakovich's work. But why, KZbin, stick bloody adverts in at the most inappropriate points (climax of the 3rd movement and about 2 minutes before the end of the whole piece). If you have to subject us to them, rather than completely ruin a marvellous piece of music, stick them in the breaks between movements!

[@clamanus]

31:20 The train to Siberia...

[@juancarlosnunez795]

Obviamente la gran versión contemporánea.....!

[@eileenneary]

Two months ago I thought Shostakovich would be a bit too 'avant guarde' for me. How wrong I was. By accident switched to symphony no 10 with Gustavo Dudamel. And now this magnificent work. Wow

[@scottgilesmusic]

You'll like the symphony 5 with Bernstein, the 13th with Rostropovich and the 10th with von Karajan. You'll also dig the first cello concerto.

[@eileenneary]

I am now the proud possesor of the entire works of Shostakovich with Rostropovich conducting all symphonies and shostakovich performing his own piano concertos also the works of the greatest Beethoven and all the other great classical composer my days would be empty without the music of these greats and superb conductors with celebidache at the top.

[@obiwan88]

@@scottgilesmusic So presumptuous that others will like what you like? American right? Typical.

[@stefanufer608]

Fabulous cello and bass sound at the beginning

[@calembourman2295]

And bad sync^^

[@johandecroppe755]

WOW. Sehr tief beeindruckt.

[@yowzephyr]

0:33 is a good place to start.

[@michaelcnutt]

Fantastic ensemble and intensity. Bravo!

[@jorgeledesma7420]

La octava de Shostakovich fue estrenada el 3 de noviembre de 1943. Considerada por muchos como su sinfonía más patética de todo el ciclo y forma parte de sus mejores sinfonías, junto con la 5@, 7@, 10@, 12@ y 15@.

[@michaelthompson7789]

No creo que la sinfonía 12 es una de las mejores, pero número 11 cierto es.

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

No olvidemos la desgarradora y cruda 4ta Sinfonía.

[@py8554]

Any information about the orchestra and the date/venue of this performance?

[@douglasyiuchinglok307]

Does anyone have to video of Semyon Bychkov conduct this symphony with the Czech Philharmonic?

[@listerofsmeg884]

Definitely looks like a Vladimir 🤣 Absolutely love the third movement. Feels like it's been taken from a video game.

[@henriwang8603]

35:37 seems a bug from trompet

[@pixelarranger]

One of his greatest works. A perfect performance of the orchestra. The symphony was originally critiqued as dark, not optimistic, not celebrating the victories of the Red Army and the glowing achievements of Soviet Socialism. Banned 1948, based on the cultural doctrine developed by Central Committee secretary Zhdanov. Every artist or writer was forced to follow the party line and become a tool of propaganda in their work: "The only conflict that is possible in Soviet culture is the conflict between good and best". Every art form had to serve a larger social purpose. Sounds familiar?

[@davidspence1404]

I am going to step out on a limg and make an educated guess that this is the State Academic SO of Russia. There's a track on youtube of audience reaction, whatever that is worth, to concertizing by this ensemble, a smaller version thereof, and several of the faces look the same. I haven't listened to this DSCH 8 as of yet, but look forward to, after the searingly direct one Vladimir Jurowski conducted with the London PO at the BBC Proms four years ago, one which held back a certain amount of indulgence that frequently takes place in music like this until a moment five minutes before the end where the emphasis belonged. The only other broadcast of the piece i recall being this memorable was of Bavarian Radio SO under Haitink during I think the mid-1980's, for the very febrile playing and color that made itself evident. As much as I wanted to like the recent Bychkov with the Czech PO at the Proms, and which featured some fine playing, and also the still relatively new Nelsons disc on DGG which I own, a certain fussiness, partly over how good a sonority to get overall, took over a little more than it should, making for bland or distracting results instead of what one should have with this piece.

[@CloudyMcCloud00]

The "Show more" button reveals the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. However it also says "James DePreist" (which it certainly isn't) -- so you may be right!

[@dasteufelhund]

Tutti low brass 33:12 solid.

[@Tortuosit]

They really have to work hard here, the movement IMO is played pretty fast.

[@dasteufelhund]

@@Tortuosit It's cooking for sure

[@elliottherring5021]

33:00

[@マサぴょん]

34:46

[@keithcooper6715]

Were does it identify the orchestra ?

[@IB-pt5qm]

в соло трубы на 35 минуте можно было и трубача показать. Не знают в филармонии этой музыки?)

[@TheTromboneClips]

Kylo ren is a great conductor!

[@Zappanofilo]

Excelente Octava.

[@seanq6570]

35:36 ...?

[@Minabezerai]

Haha....noticed that too? Made it so much more funny to me

[@leedise2383]

It sounds great, but there's nothing in the notes here to tell me which orchestra this is. Bummer. The conductor is not more important than the orchestra. If the orchestra is bad, it doesn't matter how magnificent the conductor is.

[@alexandremyrat]

Here is the orchestra who das the job. The Conductor is just reading. Probably not enough time to learn the score...

[@alexandremyrat]

He is from the category :the head into the score instead the score into the head

[@TheVaughan5]

The conductor Vladimir Jurowski as music director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra gets a lot of praise from critics but from what I've heard, which admittedly is not a great amount, I've not been convinced he's as good as his reputation suggests. I'm not familiar enough with the 8th, maybe this is a great interpretation?

[@paullewis2413]

@Lee Dise. Actually the conductor is very important because if he's exceptional he can make a mediocre orchestra sound better than would be the norm. However I agree that the orchestra is of course of equal importance, not even the greatest conductor could make a standard provincial orchestra sound like the Concertgebouw for instance:-)

[@leedise2383]

@@paullewis2413 Didn't say the conductor's role wasn't important and I agree that a mediocre group needs a good conductor more than does a virtuoso orchestra.

[@markpaterson2053]

Bloody ads! For God's sake, I'm riding the vibe at that crucial point--the transition between the terrifying 3rd to the echoing 4th movement, and a stupid advert barges in, insuring I'd never buy anything from whoever even if I remembered what they were selling. Took me right out of the experience. Other than that, one of my favourite Shostakovich symphonies

[@jensbaika5944]

This symphony is crushing my soul. I cannot stop grieving about the pain another psychopathic, narcissistic Russian dictator and his devoted "Mafia" is inflicting on a peaceful Ukraine this very second that I am listening to this master piece of music.

[@lennoderuyter7532]

bad video editing, trumpet solo third part, nothing?????

[@gavriilpolyntsev5449]

Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski

[@scottgilesmusic]

Super conductor but the orchestra is...doing a professional job. Nothing exciting. Too bad, as this is a gorgeous and powerful symphony.

[@benjamMin2780]

Have to disagree. It is a subtly impassioned rendering with smoldering brevity inperson playing...21:26 to 22:22 in.

[@АлександрЛавров-ц8е]

Величайшая. Непревзойденная.

[@CloudyMcCloud00]

I don't think I've come across a more comatose, disinterested effort for quite some time - from a relatively young conductor (apparently with a reasonably inflated reputation) whom, you might expect, would be capable of summoning enough energy to at least open his eyes occasionally (same deadpan expression throughout) and maybe even move about a bit. Nothing happening here at all - except, perhaps, to emphasise the quality of earlier efforts, such as Haitink's revelatory recording with the Concergebouw - long, long ago. Here (for a start) the entire first movement is rushed through - although not as rushed as when the side drum comes in: pushing ahead on every occasion - which the entire orchestra is then obliged to follow, and our conductor seemingly happy enough (or too lazy) to tag along too. And, of course, nothing to commend the rest of it either. Flat dynamics throughout; and devoid of any of the inspiration that this masterpiece deserves. Depressing. (Just for laugh I thought I'd give Gergiev's version a go: and, yeah, it's bad - but a breath of fresh air after this.)

[@michaelthompson7789]

Very apposite in view of Madman Putin's invasión of Ukraine. Also apposite is the 7th "Leningrad".

[@nachname3047]

🤮

[@muslit]

Weak.

[@vacuumlover1]

56:29

[@ekmke96]

42:11