Thread: Shostakovich Completed Works Recording

I've done a lot of searching for a Shostakovich completed works recording like there is with Stravinsky and Prokofiev, but I have had no luck. Is there one out there that I can't find? Or do I just need to build my collection with a Complete Symphonies, Complete Strings Quartets etc etc....

Thanks.

There isn´t a complete Shostakovich edition yet. The best option for an inexpensive starter is the Brilliant Shostakovich Edition of 27 CDs, sometimes available down to perhaps 3 Euros per CD, at least in continental Europe. You get the standard works in decent recordings - the Symphonies with Barshai being very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-E.../dp/B000J20V8K

But Shostakovich wrote a lot, including for instance obscure music for cartoons, an orchestration of Schumann´s Cello Concerto etc., and new manuscripts and revisions also keep turning up - such as the important "Rayok" chamber cantata, or the opera from 1932 "Orango".

The Soviet company Melodiya came close to recording almost everything by the composer and released a lot of rarities, including an LP series "From The Manuscripts Of Different Years" for instance. But they haven´t issued a complete edition yet, and it will no doubt be expensive and very comprehensive too.

However there are usually alternative recordings to the Brilliant set very much worth considering, and as said it is not complete.

One has to make a complete collection step by step anyway ...

Yeah, there isn't a complete Schostakovich edition but the Brilliant Classics one mentioned above does have a nice collection of his works.

I have the Brilliant Classics set and it's one of the better sets Brilliant has released in my opinion. I have several complete recordings of the Symphonies but I find myself coming back to these Rudolph Barshai recordings time and time again.

I have multiple recordings of his String Quartets as well and while the Fitzwilliam String Quartet recordings are probably my personal favorite, the Rubio Quartet recordings in the Brilliant Classics release are just fine.

It's a good stepping stone into having a large body of Shostakovich's works.

Originally Posted by joen_cph

There isn´t a complete Shostakovich edition yet. The best option for an inexpensive starter is the Brilliant Shostakovich Edition of 27 CDs, sometimes available down to perhaps 3 Euros per CD, at least in continental Europe. You get the standard works in decent recordings - the Symphonies with Barshai being very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-E.../dp/B000J20V8K



But Shostakovich wrote a lot, including for instance obscure music for cartoons, an orchestration of Schumann´s Cello Concerto etc., and new manuscripts and revisions also keep turning up - such as the important "Rayok" chamber cantata, or the opera from 1932 "Orango".

The Soviet company Melodiya came close to recording almost everything by the composer and released a lot of rarities, including an LP series "From The Manuscripts Of Different Years" for instance. But they haven´t issued a complete edition yet, and it will no doubt be expensive and very comprehensive too.

However there are usually alternative recordings to the Brilliant set very much worth considering, and as said it is not complete.

One has to make a complete collection step by step anyway ...

Be careful... Some conductors are awesome, others just...acceptable.

Martin

This set seems to have good reviews, I haven't bought it yet.

6110Ipi39iL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Barshai seems to be well thought of.
Appears to be a good deal at £28, in the UK

It's hard to imagine a complete (as in everything he wrote, not just what has been recorded) DSCH edition as:

a) many of his numerous film scores have yet to be reconstituted in full and a number of other works have never been available on cd, if at all.

b) a lot of the lesser-known works have been recorded (often only once) on so many different labels both big and small it would be extremely difficult for one label to gain distribution rights for them all. It would take a supreme effort to complete such a project if any company was enterprising enough to have a go - all in all I reckon there would be at least 70 discs if we also include Shostakovich's various arrangements/reductions of his own material.

i am pretty sure DECCA (London) issue a big set of Shostakovich couple years ago (2006 centennial?). I have the 9-CD set for concertos, suite, and chamber symphonies. Pretty sure other works like symphonies, quartets, and Piano Music; Chamber Works are (re-)issued in separate sets. (May be out of print already.)

Has anybody out there heard any rumors--substantive or otherwise--as to whether petrenko and the RLPO intend to record a complete cycle of Shostakovich's symphonies?

Comments are that you have the essentials, probably symphonies and string quartets are not all of them. There is no list cd by cd like many others... Anyhow, i think every recorder work, verify...

http://www3.bell.net/svp1/




Martin

Originally Posted by powerbooks

i am pretty sure DECCA (London) issue a big set of Shostakovich couple years ago (2006 centennial?). I have the 9-CD set for concertos, suite, and chamber symphonies. Pretty sure other works like symphonies, quartets, and Piano Music; Chamber Works are (re-)issued in separate sets. (May be out of print already.)

True. Seems to be generally very fine recordings:

-> http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/sin...UCT_NR=4757431
http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/sin...UCT_NR=4757441
http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/sin...UCT_NR=4757425

Comments are that you have the essentials, probably symphonies and string quartets are not all of them. There is no list cd by cd like many others... Anyhow, i think everything or almost.

http://www3.bel.net/svp1

Martin

I could not make the link work ?

There is a Shostakovich discography here; I haven´t checked its completeness, but it is very comprehensive and comprises a lot of rare, old stuff:

http://www.envi.osakafu-u.ac.jp/deve...ch/work-e.html

Originally Posted by cwarchc

This set seems to have good reviews, I haven't bought it yet.

6110Ipi39iL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Barshai seems to be well thought of.
Appears to be a good deal at £28, in the UK

Don't think twice! Think once and buy, buy, buy! Amazing. I just got it and haven't heard all of it yet, but this is some killer playing, great-to-stellar sound, and solid and consistent as hell. Its a steal.

You're in luck! I was classical music stores online, and apparently Brilliant Classics is releasing a 51 CD Shostakovich Edition Boxed set. I am not sure if it is complete works or not

http://www.brilliantclassics.com/rel...?id=FM00424463