Description:

The most well-known recordings of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 conducted by Sanderling are the 1977 session recording with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the 1978 live recording with the Orchestre National de France, but this is a live recording from 1973, before those recordings. The most well-known recordings with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, of which he was the principal guest conductor at the time, include a Beethoven recording made in the 1980s, but even though this live recording was made early in his career, the two orchestras were in perfect communication. The low center of gravity of the music is typical of Sanderling, but the tremendous buildup at the climax of the first and fourth movements and the tension in the second movement are wonderful, and the applause at the end of the performance was enthusiastic. The coupling is "Islamei" conducted by Kondrashin, and the version arranged by Casella recorded here seems to have been in his repertoire since his Soviet days, but this is the first release of the recording. The colorful and very detailed orchestration is neatly put together, and the contrasts that lead to the fast-moving climax are indeed outstanding. (C)RS