Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Symphony No 4 in C minor, Op 43 (1935-6)
Symphony No 5 in D minor, Op 47 (1937)
Symphony No 6 in B minor, Op 54 (1939)
Oslo Philharmonic/Klaus Mäkelä
rec. 2022/23, Konserthus, Oslo, Norway
Decca 485 4637 [2 CDs: 145]
A couple of years ago, I admired the Sibelius symphony cycle which Klaus Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic recorded in 2021 (review). I was delighted, therefore, to find that for their latest project they have turned to some of the symphonies of Shostakovich. The illuminating booklet notes by James Jolly include some comments by Mäkelä and I was very interested to read that he feels that in programming the Soviet master’s music in Oslo he is following in the footsteps of one of his distinguished predecessors, Mariss Jansons, who also played a lot of Shostakovich during his time with the Oslo Philharmonic. Just as revealing is the lineage that Mäkelä traces from Mariss Jansons, through Jansons’ father, Arvids Jansons, to Yevgeny Mravinsky. Of course, Mravinsky was a famed interpreter of Shostakovich but it’s good to see Arvids Jansons, a fine conductor, mentioned in this company. (It was at a concert given by Jansons père and the Hallé in Bradford, decades ago, that I first experienced a live performance of the mighty ‘Leningrad’ Symphony.) It seems that it was Mäkelä’s idea to group these three symphonies together on disc; it’s a grouping that works well.
He regards the Fourth as the composer’s “ultimate masterpiece”. I might be wary of such a judgement: where does that leave the harrowing Thirteenth, for instance? However, I would certainly agree with Mäkelä that the Fourth is a composition of immense stature. Furthermore, it’s a fascinating fork in the road: how might Shostakovich’s symphonic development have progressed had he not felt compelled to withdraw the work prior to its scheduled premiere in the wake of Pravda’s infamous scathing denunciation of the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District? The music of the Fourth is radical in nature but I think the musical radicalism is much more disciplined than was the case in the Second and Third symphonies. To me, the Fourth represents a huge advance on those two symphonies, both in terms of the scale of the ambition (the first movement alone is longer than the entirety of either of those works) and also the originality of the musical ideas, which are developed in a way that is infinitely more skilled than in either of the two previous symphonies. Incidentally, James Jolly usefully reminds us that while Shostakovich withdrew the symphony from performance the work retained its opus number; so, it was by no means disowned.
One good presentational aspect of Mäkelä’s recording of the Fourth is that Decca split the huge first movement into two separate tracks; track 2 starts with the Presto section. The equally substantial third movement is similarly treated; there the Largo opening is separated from the rest of the movement. In each case, the dividing points make sense. DG adopted a similar approach for Andris Nelsons’ recording, where the track divisions occur at identical places (review).
Mäkelä’s account of this symphony is very impressive indeed: I like his way with the music and the Oslo orchestra plays superbly for him. His reading of the enormous first movement is compelling. There’s great attention to detail and I noted several passages where the combined skills of the musicians and engineers allow us to hear clearly the complex polyphony in Shostakovich’s writing. The immense, harsh climaxes are imposingly achieved but I think you may be just as impressed, as I was, by the finesse with which the quieter stretches of music are delivered. It seems to me that Mäkelä lays out the movement, which can seem disparate, as a convincing whole. The music in the shorter second movement is biting and edgy; Mäkelä obtains really incisive playing from the orchestra. Again, the performance evidences great attention to detail – sample the string polyphony from around 4:15. The ghostly ending, with its ticking percussion (from 8:28) is very well managed.
The massive finale opens with a slow, lugubrious march which gradually increases in power. The Allegro which follows crackles with energy; the pace is well-judged and as a result the music has great definition as well as drive and purpose. The extended passage of fantastical, skittish music (from 7:10) thrusts the principal bassoon and trombone into the spotlight; both players are excellent. The movement’s huge climax (14:12-16:35) seems to come from nowhere; it’s sustained with tremendous power and intensity, the timpani pounding relentlessly while the rest of the Oslo Philharmonic is in full cry. The lengthy and mysteriously enigmatic coda is superbly controlled, setting the seal on a very fine performance of the Fourth.
It’s been quite a while since I listened to the Fifth; to be honest, I think I’d become over-exposed to what is, I suspect, Shostakovich’s most frequently played symphony. Mäkelä’s performance was a great way to return to the work because what struck me about this rendition was its freshness. I was hooked right from the start by the terrific weight of tone in the strings as they command the listener’s attention – the rock-solid double bass section provides a really firm foundation here and throughout this symphony. The more subdued pages which follow are played with great refinement. Later, the brass section has all the swagger you could desire when the music takes a martial turn. After the movement’s potent climax, the duet between flute and horn is beautifully done; here, balm is applied after the wrenching climax. Mäkelä and his superb orchestra give a delicate account of the hushed, ambiguous ending.
The second movement receives a punchy performance; here, the playing is terrifically incisive. The quiet opening to the Largo is very impressively done; here, tension and beauty combine. The main climax (9:00) is very intense, as is the build-up to the climax; however, it’s the quieter passages in this movement that made the greatest impression on me. I was reminded how much of this movement is hushed and requires sensitive playing; that’s just what we hear in this exceptional performance. The finale erupts but Mäkelä wisely resists the temptation to take the music at breakneck speed in the manner of Bernstein; in the Finn’s hands, the music is exciting but controlled. The slower episode (from 3:40) is distinguished above all by a wonderful horn solo; this whole passage (to 7:48) is very well done; Mäkelä finds the poetry in Shostakovich’s music. Thereafter, the conductor builds very convincingly towards the conclusion. He takes the ending just broadly enough – but no more – that he avoids bombast. I was glad to come back to the symphony through this fine performance which emphasised to me its stature.
The Sixth is an unusual construction: a long Largo movement followed by two short movements which are swift and high-spirited. The opening of the Largo promises much in this performance; the arching main theme is searchingly articulated by the strings. That promise is amply fulfilled as the movement unfolds. I think Mäkelä’s account of the movement is gripping. It’s a big test for both the conductor and the players, not least in the several episodes of near-stasis in which a single solo instrument is accompanied by glacially hushed strings. All of these passages come off marvellously because the playing is so good and because Mäkelä’s conducting ensures that tension is maintained. The woodwind players are superb throughout – as are the strings – so these solos, which invariably fall to the woodwinds, consistently command the listener’s interest.
The performance of the short Allegro second movement is full of vitality and high spirits. All sections of the Oslo Philharmonic offer playing of tremendous precision. Very often, when Shostakovich expresses humour in music the humour is sardonic in nature but here he seems to display genuine good humour; at least, that’s how this performance comes across. The Presto third movement is longer than its predecessor – but only by about a minute. Mäkelä leads a scampering performance; the orchestra’s playing is light on its feet and expertly articulated. Again, the essence of this music is good natured and this sparkling performance demonstrates that.
This package offers terrific performances of three very contrasting Shostakovich symphonies. It seems to me that Klaus Mäkelä has the full measure of each of these scores and his marvellous orchestra backs him to the hilt. They are assisted in this by outstanding recordings. The sound has wonderful definition and impact. There’s a wide dynamic range, which this music needs and, as I’ve already suggested, the engineers allow us to hear an impressive amount of inner detail. That’s achieved through a recording which has admirable clarity without any suggestion that it’s clinical; on the contrary, there’s a pleasing sense of the acoustic of Oslo’s Konserthus.
I don’t know if this album is a one-off or if Klaus Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic plan to record any more Shostakovich together. Out of interest, I looked at the orchestra’s website and saw that they played the ‘Leningrad’ in April 2024 and that more Shostakovich performances – Symphonies 1, 11 and 15 – are scheduled in early 2025. On the evidence of these thrilling recordings, I hope more symphonies will be committed to disc by this partnership.
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