Posted by Rick Denney on February 15, 2001 at 19:34:19:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shostakovich's 5th - Triumph or Tragedy? posted by Jay Bertolet on February 15, 2001 at 18:36:34:
I've never heard him conduct the 5th, but I did hear his leadership of the San Antonio Symphony, where he conducted the 7th or 8th (which one is the "Leningrad"?). It was one of the very few occasions when the seat propelled me into the air at the conclusion of the work, completely and instantly overcoming my usual extreme reluctance to give a standing ovation.
One of these days, I'll figure out how a snare drummer can sustain a smooth crescendo over 14663 bars.
Perhaps one reason for the usual triumphal approach is that some non-Russian conductors were always treated well on their visits east and didn't (or weren't willing to) understand things like train trips to the Gulag. Great musical genius does not preclude other sorts of naivete.
Rick "Dang, now I have to dig up and rethink all my Shosty 5 recordings" Denney