Re: Decca Shostakovich 3 & 12 CD


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Posted by B.G. on April 07, 2003 at 15:26:07:

In Reply to: Decca Shostakovich 3 & 12 CD posted by Jeff on April 07, 2003 at 12:57:35:

I don't know this particular recording, but I have a slightly related story. I saw the RPO do Mahler #5 in S.F. with Danielle Gatti. It was a rather scrappy performance, but that's a whole 'nother story (slightly funky percussion and scrappy strings). Anyway, the tubaist used his B&H Eb. He obviously could play it very well. However, the horn sounded too small for the piece, in a hall as big as Davies. I could hardly hear him on the fast, low runs in the 2nd and 3rd movements. In the first movement, his tone sounded forced on the big albeit short tuba solo. Granted, I'm used to hearing Mahler played on bigger equipment. But I've also played a 3+1 Eb for many years (19" bell too), and I wouldn't try to use it on Mahler in a large, modern concert hall. If this sounds petty and snobbish, I'm just trying to make the point that, sometimes, that which works in the recording studio doesn't always work in the concert hall, and vice versa. In London, many orchestral recordings are made in churches, or in actual recording studios such as EMI's. Rarely are they actually done in big concert halls. Anyway, whoever the tubaist was, he clearly could play his horn - I'm not trying to take anything away from his skill level. My only point is that the choice of instrument was something of mismatch for that repertorie, at that venue.

Also, as good as some as some of Ashkenazy's RPO Shostakovich has been (I used to own the fourth and fifth), I think that the two St. Petersurg Phil. ones that I own are even better: the 7th and the 11th. If nothing else, the Russian strings are both more together and more powerful, IMHO.

Barry Guerrero


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