 Shostakovich through Haitink, a terrifying vision, 2003-04-06
Shostkovich's 8th symphony reflects us world in which dark, bleak, emotions covers you and don't let you breath. This is a fascinating document of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. The present performance by Bernard Haitnk and the Concertgrbouw Orchestra offers an impressive view on this rather horror work. At the opening passages of the first movement Haitink opts for somewhat brooding tempos, but not to fast and not to slowly. His very well gauged tempos allow him to get a forward thrust. Also very important, Note for example how Haitink's take a close care to the material structure, under him the orchestra strings sound totally grimmer and by that he produced a gteater sense of darkness. The basic momentum has already moved forward by Haitink and the next development shows his grasp through the more intense passages. Here he also produced a great sound from his players. Haitink's Concertgebouw Orchestra shows comprehension from the highest order, and it is a fine example for a long time relationship between conductor and orchestra. The great sound is also produced because of the high technical engineering of Decca. The big drama, in the central sections of the movement conveyers a huge brutality climaxes, under Haitink delivered with immensely power. The marching side drum is rambling, and the final climax is truly terrifying. Haitink's vision on this powerful movement is truly one of the most impressive ones. The two middle movements are at the same high level as the first. The orchestra plays superbly under haitink, notice to the danse macabre section in the second movement. However Haitink's dark approach of the first movement delivered here with more moderate sense of breathing air at last. But as with Shostakovich, you will breath air for a very short time, and when the arrival of the four movement start, marks as Largo the grimness feeling appear again. Now with even a greater sense of horror.. Haitink's superb handling on the Largo is one of the strengths of his performance. There is a huge depth in his vision, which for me really catch the spirit of shostakovich's music. However Haitink's is not to sentimental in his approach, rather then that he keeps you more in a distance; for me it is a magic touch by a great conductor that really understand the impact of this music. The Concertgebouw Orchestra also plays wonderfully for Haitink's. Notice to the beautifully woodwind sections. In the last movement Haitink's show his ability to gets under the skin of Shostakovich's music and to expose its inner meaning. And by that point his immensely vision made complete, and he takes the beautifully mysterious ending to its enigmatic conclusion. The CD also comes on alternative price, make him a good value. This is a must have recording for shotakovich admires.
Powerful, relentless, and crystal clear, 2008-02-03
The orchestral playing, sound, and Haitink's grasp of the work's architecture are peerless. He makes the work into one overwhelming arch.
I am fond of Previn's recording for EMI (it is beautifully played and his inner movements are thrilling), but his first movement lacks the inevitability of Haitink's; similarly, Previn's final movement lmost sounds comfortable next to both Haitink. It is a valid approach, but it will not leave you as shaken as Mravinky or Haitink.
Slatkin leads a well-played and very moving performance, which is unfortunately somewhat undone by its low-impact sound.
 powerful performance of the symphonic Guernica, 2003-10-16
Shostakovich's 8th Symphony is one of his greatest, along with the 4th, 5th and 10th. Written during WWII, it is sometimes referred to as "The Stalingrad," though with less cause than the 7th being known as "The Leningrad" -- Shostakovich was indeed in Leningrad when the German siege began, and composed the first three movements of the 7th before being evacuated. The 8th Symphony is a powerful expression of the horror of war, which has been compared to Picasso's painting "Guernica." First performed on November 4, 1943 with Mravinsky conducting, it was largely ignored at first. Eventually in 1948 the Soviet authorities denounced Shostakovich for producing such a pessimistic work, failing to celebrate the great victory. This is not a work of propaganda, but rather a profound tragedy, the only appropriate response to such massive brutality, suffering and death.
While similar in some respects to the 5th -- for instance the 3-note opening theme echoes its 4-note opening -- the 8th is larger and more complex, expressing much of what Shostakovich had been holding back due to Stalin's threats. This is not speculation -- Shostakovich himself said that the war made it possible for artists to more freely express themselves. It was not only the victims of Hitler's aggression but the victims of Stalin's terror prior to the war that the 8th commemmorates.
The 8th has an unusual construction, opening with a 26-minute adagio, followed by two fast movements of six minutes each, then a nine-minute largo and finally a 15-minute allegretto. The dramatic center is the allegro non troppo, which is a battle scene, punctuated by a crazed trumpet, symbolizing to me the insanity of war. In the several versions of the 8th that I've heard, the central movement, which is horrifying and vivid, burning itself into your brain, is what makes or breaks a performance. The first movement builds up to it, and the last two movements decompress from it -- if it fails, the entire symphony fails. Haitink and his Concertgebouw in this 1982 performance storm the battle scene with manic intensity. It is far more effective than the mushy performance of Rostropovich and the National's 1991 recording on Teldec (see my review). The recording which to me represents perfection is also on Decca, a 1989 performance by Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (#425 675-2). Solti drives the CSO with relentless intensity throughout the entire work, and the allegro non troppo is not quite as manic as Haitink's, striking the perfect balance of precision and intensity. The Rostropovich recording is superior to the Haitink in the last two movements, coming closer to Solti in attaining a smooth, compelling narrative flow. This Haitink version is more static and cold in the largo and allegretto, failing to fully capture the poignance and tragedy of the war's aftermath.
Shostakovich's 8th Symphony is one of the towering masterworks of 20th century music, and 20th century art overall. I listened to the Solti recording especially over and over from August of 2002 through the U.S. war on Iraq in April 2003.
A recording with the makings of greatness until the last two movements, 2010-06-12
There is really nothing to argue over here -- Haitink's Shostakovich Eighth has been admired since its elease in 1983, and time hasn't worn down the recorded sound, which is quite grand. The Decca engineers include a warm sense of hall ambience from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The orchestra is world class, and for once it cannot be said that the Russians sound considerably more idiomatic. Its true that Mravinsky, who conducted the premiere in Nov. 1943, left behind two searing versions, on Philips and BBC Legends, that are unique in their tragic impact, especially the second recording, which commemorates the British premiere of the symphony in 1960 (it's in surprisingly full stereo, although prospective buyers should be warned about almost constant audience noise). The other Russians whose readings I've heard are certainly to the manner born, and if one were restricted only to Bychkov or Kondrashin, there would be no complaints; Gergiev doesn't fare so well in a recording for Philips that is one of is earliest. It's roughly recorded and sounds too blunt, an ironic outcome considering that at the moment he delivers performances of this work that are transcendent.
With so much going for it, is Haitink's reading one of the great ones? Not to me, because after a powerful opening Adagio and two biting scherzos, he lapses into ordinariness. Blandness is always a possibility with Haitink, and I had hoped that he would be fired up for the entire performance. The last two movements have always puzzled critics. The fourth movement is a passacaglia that repeats its theme twelve times without much, if any, development. The finale is so deliberately mild as to seem like a calculation anti-climax. In the right hands, something bleaker and more moving can be made out of this music, but Haitink proceeds literally, losing the opportunity to argue on the composer's behalf. Many listeners won't care. We've become almost uncritical of Shostakovich's major symphonies, unlike critics of thirty years ago, who were unembarrassed to complain about is inconsistencies and lapses into banality.
The range of great Shostakovich Eighths may be fairly narrow, but we have a surplus of very good ones, to which Haitink's belongs. To my mind, the ones that edge him out are Previn on DG, Kondrashin on several labels but originally Melodiya, the two Mravinskys, and Solti on Decca leading the Chicago Sym. at its astounding best. To be avoided, as an earlier reviewer notes, are the Rostropovich on Teldec (dull and clumsily conducted) and a remake on LSO Live (coarse and overblown).
An exceptional artwork!, 2005-02-06
Bernard Haitink is not precisely among my most beloved directors. But chapeaux is the best expression I can find to recognize this undeniable triumph in this difficult work of Shostakovich.
The ontological anguish in the Scherzo has never best reflected in any other available version. This Symphony somehow has not received all the deserved attention due perhaps its introspective mood: most of the great audiences prefer by far to seduced by the great, gargantuan. epic, colossal and involving extroverted orchestral mass pregnant with certain optimist resolution.
But this is a claustrophobic work of defined Mahlerian influence. Even heavy weight champions directors such Mravinsky somehow have forgotten the debt for Mahler where the existential anguish is simply delimited for a line: in Mahler this anguish is internal , in Shostakovich is a conjunction of internal and also outer collective horror where Stalin iron fist depicted the destiny of many people.
Besides, if you consider the fact of being the next Symphony after that giant work such Leningrad was, the Symphony may be was not as pyramidal and deep purpose but the point is the Eighth never received the special attention about its transcendent significance.
In this case the presence of the Concertgebouw and the special rapture day for Haitink made of this recording an inestimable musical treasure.
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