Valery Gergiev, Kirov Orchestra (Mariinsky) – Shostakovich Symphony 4 (2004) {SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz}

Valery Gergiev holds the opening movement of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 together by sheer willpower. Since the gargantuan movement sprawls like a drunken giant, lurching from pseudo-exposition through inchoate development and faux-recapitulation and amorphous coda, nothing else but willpower could possibly do it. And, amazingly enough, it works. With the tremendously muscular playing of the Kirov Orchestra, Gergiev makes chaos cohere and even convince, if not quite compel. After the opening movement, Shostakovich’s Fourth does hold together and hold together brilliantly. The central movement is as tight and hard as a blackjack and the closing movement, although even larger and longer than the opening, has a dramatic logic as rigorous and severe as a machine gun. But Gergiev’s will power never relaxes and his closing movement is not only coherent and convincing, it is immensely compelling. Indeed, taken altogether, Gergiev and the Kirov’s Fourth is surely the most compelling recording of the work to come out of Russia since Kiril Kondrashin’s premiere recording from the ’60s. No higher praise is possible. Philips’ sound has the impact and immediacy of a sledgehammer.

Tracklist:
01. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – I a. Allegro poco moderato
02. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – I b. Presto
03. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – II. Moderato con moto
04. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – III a. Largo
05. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – III b. Allegro
06. Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in C minor, op. 43 – III c. (Allegro)

Executive producer: Clive Bennett. Recording producer: Andrew Cornall.
Balance engineer: Philip Siney. Recording engineers: Vladimir Ryabenko & Sergei Parfenov.
Recording facilities by the Mariinsky Theatre on behalf of Emil Berliner Studios.
Editing facilities by Emil Berliner Studios. Recording editor: Ingmar Haas.
Mixed and mastered at Classic Sound Limited. Mixing engineer: Philip Siney.
Recording location: Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia, 20-22 November 2001.
Production co-ordinator: Alice Fields. SACD surround mix: Philip Siney.

SACD ISO

mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004SACDIS.part1.rar
mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004SACDIS.part2.rar
mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004SACDIS.part3.rar
mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004SACDIS.part4.rar
mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004SACDIS.part5.rar

FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz

mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004FLACStere2488.2.part1.rar
mqs.link_V.GergievKirvrchestraShstakvichSymphny42004FLACStere2488.2.part2.rar