Shostakovich: Symphony 10 / Ballet Suite 4
The heart of this symphony lies in its second movement, a tiny four-minute whirlwind of  a piece that the composer claimed represents the malevolent evil of Joseph Stalin. Neeme Järvi  whips it up to a frenzy that has to be heard to be believed. The 10th is, arguably, the composer's  greatest symphony, and this is also the greatest performance in Järvi's generally impressive  Shostakovich cycle. The piece is full of autobiographical references, including the composer's four- note musical monogram (you hear it most clearly at the very end of the third movement). The work  was being completed just as Stalin died, and at the climax of the finale his music returns, only to be  stomped by the composer's own tune. A symbolic victory, perhaps, but a heartfelt one too.-- David Hurwitz