The latest release of Shostakovich has received the prestigious Choc du mois prize; this recoding and the opera The Lefthander were also named “Disc of the Week” by BBC Radio 3 CD Review.
Respected international publications have lavished praise on the Mariinsky recording label’s most recent releases – Shchedrin’s opera The Lefthander and Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony and First Violin Concerto with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev and Leonidas Kavakos.
France’s Classica magazine awarded the recording of works by Shostakovich the Choc du mois prize – this prize was also awarded to a previous release in the Gergiev’s Shostakovich series featuring Symphonies Nos 4, 5 and 6: “This interpretation proves incredibly rich... tense with emotion.” The British internet portal BBC Radio 3 CD Review named the album “Disc of the Week”.
The recording received the highest category of five stars from the publications Classical Music Magazine, Classical Ear, Daily Review and SA-CD.net.
“On this album, the eminent conductor Valery Gergiev and his excellent Mariinsky Orchestra have produced one of the best Shostakovich nines ever committed to disc. Listening to this is like drinking water from a mountain spring. Every note is absolutely transparent. You will hear details you’ve never heard before – in no small measure helped by the album’s superb sound quality and engineering... Gergiev is one of the most compelling conductors on the planet. This album speaks to his immense talent and is a must-have in the library of Shostakovich aficionados and lovers of violin music.” Daily Review
“This is an absolutely superb, virtually picture-perfect performance... The Mariinsky Orchestra is so comfortable with this music that it never seems to be straining to produce exactly the right sound – instead, the players can focus wholly on exigencies of interpretative detail, those niceties of balance and attack that make all the difference between a well-executed reading and a brilliant one like this. The SACD sound helps a great deal, too, pinpointing every element of Shostakovich’s lucid orchestration.” Infodad.com
“Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra are on course to produce the definitive Shostakovich symphony cycle of our times, and this Ninth is no exception... The orchestra is (again) on fine form... Stunning.” Classical Ear
“These are fine Shostakovich performances... the real attraction here is the pungency of the pairing of the symphony and the Violin Concerto No 1... The two works emerge here as pillars of the composer’s postwar personality, with fine live DSD recording at the Mariinsky Theater. Recommended recordings of major Shostakovich works.” AllMusic
“Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 by the best violinist in the world... The Ninth Symphony is excellent.” Le Devoir
“Valery Gergiev and Leonidas Kavakos deliver ultra-luxurious interpretations of two contrasting Shostakovich pieces.” ResMusica
The unique recording of Shchedrin’s opera The Lefthander, commissioned from the composer by Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre for the opening of the new stage (Mariinsky-II), was also named “Disc of the Week” by the publication BBC Radio 3 CD Review: “This recording is from the first staged performances at the Mariinsky in July 2013 and it fizzes with energy... I enjoyed this hugely.”
“In Valery Gergiev, this opera has found the ideal man. In the pit, the conductor excels once again to give substance to the music. His perfect knowledge of Russian repertoire as well as the composer’s work allows him to oscillate between tragedy and comedy... In addition, the voices are great, beginning with Andrei Popov, a great Tula, the illiterate craftsman and famous Left-Hander.” Hebdoscope
“Valery Gergiev maintains his status as one of Russia’s greatest living conductors and a sound advocate of contemporary theater and orchestral scores... For those already familiar with Rodion Shchedrin this is a necessary addition. The sound quality from the Mariinsky’s own label and engineers is superb.” Audiophile Audition
“The large cast is a fine one led by tenor Andrei Popov who sings the taxing title role of the Left-Hander with great conviction whilst the Flea of coloratura soprano Kristina Alieva is both alluring and touching... The sound is vivid with plenty of ambient information from the surround speakers and it accurately captures the atmosphere of the live event.” SA-CD.net
“Shchedrin’s new opera is imaginative, playful and a fine portrayal of the British and the Russians. The orchestral playing is superb. The sound recording is excellent.” Pizzicato
“The performance surely must be definitive. The audio is stunning, with the colorful octal effects captured with uncommon clarity and impact... A very classy presentation of an unusual work.” Classical CD Review
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