Shostakovich: Symphonies 6 & 9
These recordings are part of Everest's extraordinary backlog of Fifties and Sixties classical masterpieces. Some of us have discovered "undiscovered" composers from these original vinyl LPs. Dmitri Shostakovich's music went through many stages and changes, depending on Stalin's mood. His Symphony No. 6 (1939) begins unpredictably with a grim largo that belies the happy Soviet modernism of his famous Symphony No. 5. Only in the Sixth do we start getting hints of Shostakovich's true feelings toward his country's plight. His Symphony No. 9 (1945) also fooled everybody, both for its brevity and for its humor. Sir Adrian Boult's recording of The Sixth is magnificent. Highly recommended.--Paul Cook