St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra/Temirkanov
Shostakovich Symphony No 5
(Mirare)
This is not just a good Shostakovich Five, it's a glorious one; and it's not merely magnificent, it's magisterial. There is a lesson for all interpreters in Yuri Temirkanov's gripping and magnetic reading of this most-loved of all Shostakovich's symphonies: just bring what's in front of you on the score off the page. There is not an ounce of conductor-tinkering, not a trace of indulgence, and not a scent of exaggeration in Temirkanov's realisation of the music. It's not literalist, but it's faithful to the word and spirit. The St Petersburg playing is phenomenal, with the wee ensemble glitches that occur in live performance, and a first clarinet who blows a bit hard; but Temirkanov's pacing and accelerations, in the first and final movements, along with his structural control, are masterly. The Scherzo has a bite that will pin you to your seat, while the emotional depth probed in the slow movement is profound. A classic.
Michael Tumelty
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