The Best of Shostakovich

Advantages: A powerful experience to make you think
Disadvantages: Too much thinking makes the brain ache

...“What's Floon trying to do to us with this highbrow stuff?” I hear you cry. “Why doesn’t he write about really interesting things like toothbrushes, hair conditioner and peanut butter?” Good question. I guess the answer is, “To each his own.” I find it hard to become passionate about hair conditioner, as a brief glance at my photo will tell you. I am, however, passionate about music and if I can carry a few others with me I am well pleased, especially when I know the pleasure to be had from great works. We all want to share those things that give us most pleasure, don’t we? I have loved Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony since I first discovered it courtesy of Coventry Record Library in about 1960 as a schoolboy. Interestingly, some of my more “cool” (i.e. Rock and Roll loving) friends also got hooked on it because of its louder... Read review

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Advantages: Oistrakh is perfect in technique, style, and interpretation for 20th century works
Disadvantages: as an older recording, soloist brought out well above orchestra. its oistrakh!

...The Shostakovich violin concertos are already amazing, and oistrakh playing them is perfect. his understanding, style, and technique are perfect for lots of 20th century works such as ysaye, shostakovich, and prokofiev. he uses his mastery of bow control to help bring out the shape and the journey of shostakovich and ysaye's works. i find his interpretations of shostakovich and ysaye the easiest to understand and enjoy in general. it's oistrakh...i don't need to say that much... ysaye's amitie for 2 violins is absolutely incredible. i discovered it recently... it's dramatic and has tuneful romantic moments at times (he was very influenced by romantic music), yet is very heartfelt and sentimental throughout, hence its name which means 'friendship'. it sticks to ysaye's cool modern style of music in its clever use of whole tone... Read review

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Advantages: SUPERB use of an orchestra. Highly innovative. The final track Navras - is worth the price alone.
Disadvantages: If you don't like dissonance - this is not for you.

...I am not a fan of the final movie. But I am a HUGE fan of the score for the final movie. It is absolutely superb. From the opening unmistakable Matrix triads on the trumpets at the beginning to the pounding of the final track Navras - this is a superb score. It will not appeal to everyone however. This track takes influences from Mahler, Wagner, and to an extent Shostakovich. It is in no way a score that will appeal commercially. Don Davis (the composer) is a contemporary of John Williams and has worked with Williams for many years as an orchestrator. Often it is the orchestrators who have really good ideas - and The Matrix series is without doubt the set of films that will propel Davis into the mainstream. Goodness knows what the budget is - but I know that Davis had an orchestra of about 90 players and definitely 99... Read review

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