ESOTERIC Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 & No. 9
CD/SACD hybrid
New Japan
■has special significance in the history of reception of Shostakovich
Best pairing of two famous songs from Haitink's complete collection
Bernard Haitink (conductor)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
london philharmonic orchestra
ESSD-90247 [SACD Hybrid]
DSD MASTERING
Super Audio CD layer: 2 channel stereo [no multi]
Beautiful and luxurious paper digipak packaging used
■A quiet Dutch master who led the conducting world from the late 20th century to the 21st century.
September 2019, at the Lucerne Festival with the Vienna Philharmonic
He retired from conducting at the age of 90 after performing Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.
Bernard Haitink (born 1929 in Amsterdam).
He started out as a violinist and studied conducting with Ferdinand Leitner.
He became deputy conductor of the Dutch Radio Philharmonic in 1955 and chief conductor in 1957.
Haitink, who began his career as a conductor, received a great deal of international attention.
In 1961, at just 32 years old, he was appointed principal conductor of the prestigious Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Although Jochum supported him as an assistant at the beginning of his appointment,
Haitink was active with the organization for 28 years until 1988.
He has developed the ensemble from one of the most representative of the Netherlands to one of the world's leading ensembles.
London Philharmonic (1967-1979), Royal Opera (1987-2002),
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, etc.
He has held positions in world-famous orchestras and operas,
He was a famous conductor who continued his activities for more than 60 years, literally leading the conducting world from the latter half of the 20th century.
■His vast discography covering everything from Haydn to Toru Takemitsu
What is unique about Haitink is the extensive recording activity that took place in parallel with his conducting activities.
In 1959, he recorded Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra before taking up the position.
After Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4, the emerging Dutch label after World War II,
At Phillips, he built up an extensive discography ranging from Haydn to Toru Takemitsu.
It is only natural that the best label in the Netherlands supports the recording of the best orchestra in the Netherlands.
At this time, there was a strong demand for new catalogs using the new technology of stereo,
The young Haitink released recordings of standard repertoire one after another with prestigious orchestras,
His name became known worldwide.
He also worked with the London Philharmonic, which he became chief conductor of in 1967, including the complete collection of Liszt's symphonic poems.
Beethoven's complete symphonies and concertos, etc.
A recording project separate from the Concertgebouw Orchestra will be promoted.
■Shostakovich Chikurus suddenly started on Decca
Haitink has been recording exclusively for Philips for almost 20 years.
The turning point occurred in the late 1970s, when the digital age was just around the corner.
Launched on Britain's Decca label with his Symphony No. 10 in 1977.
This is the complete recording of Shostakovich's symphonies.
In eight years until 1984, he composed 15 symphonies and some orchestral pieces and songs.
He used two orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the London Philharmonic, for which Haitink had posts.
This recorded project was published in the UK in October 1979 by Solomon Volkov.
Increased interest in Shostakovich and the image of the composer due to ``Shostakovich's Testimony''
The project proceeded as if in sync with the shift in interpretation of the work.
Until then, the complete collection of Shostakovich's symphonies was written by Kirill Kondrashin and his Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
Melody recordings or recordings by several Russian conductors in addition to Kondrashin.
(Released on EMI/Eurodisc under license from Melodia) Only Russian products are available.
Although there were conductors such as Bernstein and Ormandy who recorded multiple Shostakovich symphonies,
The complete recording of the "Western" conductors and orchestras was a groundbreaking project.
■A project that led us to reconsider the positioning of Shostakovich's works.
Basically, it can only be achieved through powerful recordings with the unique tones of Russian orchestras.
In a situation where I could not hear the whole picture of Shostakovich's symphony,
Haitink's recordings are superior to Shostakovich's
For the first time, we will present the unique charm of orchestration without bias,
By separating himself from the image of Shostakovich in the Russian performance tradition,
It served as a catalyst for a change in the composer's interpretation of performance.
The use of highly functional orchestras such as the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the London Philharmonic is also effective.
The characteristics of Shostakovich's unique musical diction,
Decca's crisp recordings made it possible to hear it very clearly.
In terms of interpretation of the work, for example, the calm tempo of the final movement of Symphony No. 5,
Rather than following the instructions in the score, Volkov's ``Testimony'' says, ``(No. 5) is a forced joy.''
It seems to respond to the description and instructions to change the tempo,
It received high acclaim as a performance interpretation that embodies the composer's inner self, which cannot be heard from the surface of the work.
Even in No. 9, where the clownish side is sometimes overemphasized, by maintaining a technically accurate performance,
On the contrary, the individuality of the work is highlighted.
■Super Audio CD hybridization in the best condition from the original master
This complete recording is
This took place just at the time of the transition from analog to digital.
Two songs on this album are digital recordings.
No. 5 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw,
No. 9 with the London Philharmonic uses Kingsway Hall in London, a famous hall that is perfect for recording.
Decca's unique, clear and transparent sound captures each part of the orchestra clearly and three-dimensionally.
It conveys the fun of Shostakovich's orchestration.
The Philips recording captures the profound and calm sonority of the entire orchestra.
While it was a European style sound that was pushed out to the front,
Decca recordings have a sharper, more agile sound,
It's as if the memories of the analog era were revived, when each label had a distinct sonic personality.
How to highlight the important solos such as the trombone and piccolo in No. 9,
Even in the tragic tutti in the third movement of No. 5, each part is clearly captured without being obscured.
The sound is so interesting that it's as if an X-ray was applied to Shostakovich's orchestration.
Since it was a digital recording, this is the first time that the CD has been remastered since it was first released.
This will be the world's first Super Audio CD hybrid.
As before, from the selection of the master tape to be used,
Up to the final DSD mastering process,
Work is being done without compromise.
Especially for DSD mastering, the D/A converter and rubidium clock generator are
Introducing ESOTERIC's carefully tuned top-of-the-line equipment,
In addition, by generously using MEXCEL cables,
We were able to create a disc with all the information contained in the original master.
■``The journey of Shostakovich's life and thought is told''
``It was the first Symphony No. 5 recorded in the West after Volkov's Testimony was released.
The liner notes state that Haitink may have actually read the book in question, although this is just a guess.
This is probably true. It's partly because of the orchestra, but you can't hear the Victory Song here.
The tempo instructions for the finale coda have been changed according to the composer's intentions in his later years, and the tone is somber and the brass is modest.
Tutti also has sharp edges. This is why the lyricism of the third movement stands out. ”
“Record Geijutsu Separate Volume/Classical Record Book VOL. 1 Symphony Edition” 1985
``Haitink's Ninth Symphony leaves a particularly vivid impression.
This work, which depicts the final feud with Stalin, perfectly highlights the satirical spirit.
With expressions honed to the finest detail, the latent and heartbreaking confession was brought to light in the light of day. ”
“Record Geijutsu Separate Volume/Classical Record Book VOL. 1 Symphony Edition” 1985
``Here is Haitink's unmistakable sincerity and pure musical playing style.
By looking seriously at the score, he explores the inner meaning of the piece while pursuing the musical meaning of the piece.
It expresses dense music and a strong sense of balance.
The tragic emotions common to the works and the sharp gaze hidden within,
It is expressed without any pretentiousness or superficiality, and honestly conveys the sound quality, beauty, and philosophy to the listener. ”
“Record Geijutsu Separate Volume/Classic CD Catalog ’89 (first half)” 1989
``Volkov's ``testimony'' greatly overturned the image of Shostakovich up to that point.
In particular, revolutionary changes occurred in the interpretation of symphonies. This Haitink album marked the first step.
Rather than relying on ideological interpretations, I let the music speak naturally to my thoughts.
I think it stands out from the many performances that followed.
Its clarity and solidity are unlike any other performance.
The history of Shostakovich's life and thought is conveyed through Haitink's transparent interpretation. ”
"ONTOMO MOOK Classic Immortal Masterpiece 800" 1997
■Recorded songs
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70
track list
Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
1st movement: Moderato
2nd movement: Allegretto
3rd movement: Largo
4th movement: Allegro non troppo
Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70
1st movement: Allegro
2nd movement: moderato
3rd movement: Presto
4th movement: Largo
5th movement: Allegretto-Allegro
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [No. 5]
London Philharmonic Orchestra [No. 9]
Conductor: Bernard Haitink
[Recording]
Symphony No. 5: May 21-23, 1981, Amsterdam, Concertgebouw, Grote Saal
Symphony No. 9: January 15-16, 1980, Kingsway Hall, London
[First appearance]
Symphony No. 5: SXDL 7551 (LP), 410 017 2 (CD) (both 1982)
Symphony No. 9: SXDL 7515 (LP 1981), 414 677 2 (CD/1985)
[First appearance on Japanese edition]
Symphony No. 5: L28C1408 (LP February 25, 1983), 410 017 2 (CD import version September 10, 1983)
Symphony No. 9: L28C1002 (LP October 21, 1981), F35L50273 (CD import version March 25, 1986)
[Original analog recording]
[Recording producer] Andrew Cornall
[Balance Engineer]
Symphony No. 5: Colin Moorfoot
Symphony No. 9: Simon Eadon, Colin Moorfoot
[Super Audio CD Producer] Tomoaki Oma (Esoteric Co., Ltd.)
[Super Audio CD Remastering Engineer] Shinya Higashino (JVC Mastering Center (Daikanyama Studio))
[Super Audio CD authoring] Atsuo Fujita (F Ltd.)
[Commentary] Yukio Moroishi, Ryosuke Masuda
[Planning/Sales] Esoteric Co., Ltd.
[Planning/Cooperation] Tokyo Denka Co., Ltd.