Recording of the Year

"...Ihave admired many of the issues in Vasily Petrenko’s Shostakovich cycle, but none more than this harrowing account of the death-ridden Fourteenth Symphony—one of the composer’s greatest works. With powerfully idiomatic performances by both soloists and the Liverpool strings and percussion, this superb recording is the first to set alongside the classic one by Reshetin, Vishnevskaya, and Rostropovich."

"... the production values are uniformly excellent conductor Vasily Petrenko makes a distinctive case for each symphony, requiring his Liverpool band to turn on a sixpence for the jump-cut sequences in the early and late works, and mining a broad, properly Russian vein of tragedy in the mid-period symphonies. The bass Alexander Vinogradov is excellent…[as] a kind of co-conspirator with the Israeli soprano Gal James in the Fourteenth…The strings of the RLPO are appropriately thinned-out to provide the sparest possible backing to these reflections on death."

"To have a new version and in such a stunning performance and recording as this one by Petrenko, James, Vinogradov, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Naxos is very welcome indeed, and urgently recommended."

"...this symphonic work is Shostakovich at his gauntest. And Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic musicians deliver in kind. And both singers seem to have opted for a vocal quality that is bone-chilling in its baleful and sinister character. Enjoy!"

"Maestro Petrenko’s pair of high quality soloists, Israeli soprano Gal James and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov…deliver vividly voiced interpretations throughout this compelling performance the string ensemble is commendable as is the fresh feeling of rhythmic freedom from the percussion. The Naxos engineers continue their sterling work, capturing an excellent sound quality With this outstanding new recording Shostakovich’s music is being given the finest advocacy."

"... Petrenko has delivered a respectable, emotionally-true account of the 14th. The singers are quite good, and the orchestra isn’t shy about their vituperative business."

Gramophone Choice

"... with bold sound and detailed booklet-notes this would be a thrilling investment at any price. Let’s not forget the singers’ fresh-sounding contribution. Alexander Vinogradov is one of those Russian basses whose rich, sepulchral tones, easily produced, belie a boyish frame. Gal James throws herself into the proceedings with striking commitment. Strongly recommended." 

"Vasily Petrenko’s account of Shostakovich’s 14th Symphony is a very dark one, with much desolation and showing a composer sinking totally into despair. The excellent Liverpool Philharmonic plays with a sharp and often stringent sound" **** 

"... Orchestral double basses…have terrific impact, and the pizzicato trudging of the prisoner in the Sante Jail is vividly caught. The frenzy and the dances bite deep under Petrenko ..."

Artistic Quality 10      Sound Quality 10

"This is a sensational performance, the first that truly vies with the classic Rostropovich/Vishnevskaya/Reshetin for supremacy. Vasily Petrenko enjoys the distinct advantage of two absolutely fabulous young soloists Petrenko is more than gripping. …Petrenko captures every mood, from the feverish waltz of Malagueña, to the urgent yearning of O Delvig, Delvig! In Petrenko’s hands, we become supremely conscious of how Shostakovich achieves moments of exquisite beauty using the simplest of means—a wandering string line in De profundis or The Death of the Poet—or passages of sardonic humor with the militant rhythm of the tom-toms in On Watch."

"I have been impressed with this issue, for it is technically superbly recorded and the performance has an integrity that is most admirable The orchestral playing…is extremely fine throughout."

"Described by Shostakovich as ‘a protest against death’, the Russian translations of eight 20th-century poems can sound harsh and the orchestration sparse. Not here: the sound picture is near-perfect. Neither singer—the Russian bass Alexander Vinograd and the Israeli soprano Gal James—ever has to force a line and the orchestra point up the rhythms with stunning precision and a serenity of strings. No previous recording of the 14th Symphony lays greater claim to beauty. Five stars, no question." ***** 

"...this new Petrenko recording has much to commend it; it’s one of the best performances in his cycle to date. I’m delighted to find that even though this is not a full-price issue, Naxos have not stinted and have provided the transliterated Russian texts and English translations in the booklet. That’s crucial to appreciating this symphony Anyone who has been following the Petrenko cycle can add this latest instalment with confidence."