While Dmitry Shostakovich's quirky incidental music for Hamlet is a decent filler piece on this 2009 SACD from PentaTone, the real point of interest is the Symphony No. 15, which must be placed among the master's most inscrutable yet compelling works. Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra deliver one of their finest performances here, possibly because the prospect of revealing everything to the mutichannel DSD recording process keeps them on their best behavior, but also because the symphony demands a wholly ...
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While Dmitry Shostakovich's quirky incidental music for Hamlet is a decent filler piece on this 2009 SACD from PentaTone, the real point of interest is the Symphony No. 15, which must be placed among the master's most inscrutable yet compelling works. Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra deliver one of their finest performances here, possibly because the prospect of revealing everything to the mutichannel DSD recording process keeps them on their best behavior, but also because the symphony demands a wholly serious approach and pushes the musicians to give their all. Pletnev is best known as a brilliant and exciting pianist, but his conducting is often regarded as less accomplished and at times even mediocre, so hearing this recording may restore some listeners' faith in this artist. His interpretation of the Symphony No. 15 is straightforward and conservative, and he stays fairly close to the score, a judicious choice considering the pitfalls of straying into comedy on the one hand, or...
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