“EDITOR’S CHOICE”
“A remarkable disc from a Russian firebrand – up there with big guns…All in all a remarkable achievement”
David Gutman
Gramophone
“This is a wildly imaginative performance, superbly executed….The SACD layer is a stunning improvement; not only does each instrument sound more natural, but an ethereal silence seems to surround each solo. The orchestra comes to life, as do the strings; balances are ideal”
James H. North
Fanfare
“From the very beginning, it’s clear that this is a great sounding SACD. The instrumental soundstage is wide and deep, the ambient air and bloom around the instruments give results in superb transparency. The orchestral climaxes are exciting and clear.”…. The Russian National Orchestra plays brilliantly throughout this wonderful disc. Don’t miss it!”
Robert Moon
Audiophile Audition
As with their earlier Shostakovich recording, Shostakovich: Symphony N0. 11 - Pletnev, Pentatone have a treasure of a disc. The constants in the series, the recording team & the Russian National Orchestra, manage to excel themselves, even by comparison to their earlier release - thanks I’m sure, in no small part, to it being a studio recording. …This cycle with PentaTone and the Russian National Orchestra is promising to become a truly magnificent set (although a little expensive) and I very much look forward to future releases."
John Broggio
SA-CD.net
“This enjoyable disc offers two works that are underappreciated by two composers who most certainly are not….The RNO’s playing is impressive, with the winds deserving special note;… The excellent audio quality is what we’ve come to expect from PentaTone.”
Andrew Quint
Fanfare
“Jurowski brings an awesome majesty to the powerful, Mahlerian funeral march of the Sixth’s spacious opening largo, and his RNO is simply dazzling in the high jinks of the scherzo passages in both works.”
Hugh Canning
The Sunday Times
“Jurowski is an uncommonly interesting Shostakovich conductor, and one not afraid to pursue paths that are rather different from those of the “old guard” Russian conductors (Mravinsky, Kondrashin etc.). I certainly look forward to hearing more from him.”
Christopher Howell
Music Web
“Jurowski’s vivid performances have been well captured by the engineering staff-there is richness as well as impact.”
Robert Benson
Classicalcdreview.com
“It is one of the finest recordings in the PentaTone catalogue.”
Christophe Huss
ClassicsTodayFrance.com
“As I have made clear this is a superb SACD and I hope that Pentatone can persuade Jurowski to undertake more Shostakovich recordings with this orchestra.”
Graham Williams
SA-CD.net
“You won’t find a more electrifying Symphony No. 1 than this one. The romping piano in the second movement causes the pulse to race, and those massive staccato chords towards the end might just stop your heart entirely.
The astonishing level of orchestral refinement shows that the Russian National Orchestra can play as well as any Western rival, but it doesn’t sound all that different from them, either. Maybe the strings have a warmth and sheen that sets them apart.”
Lawson Taitte
The Dallas Morning News
“On Vladimir Jurowski’s disc, the orchestra seems to understand the Shostakovich First and Sixth Symphonies through and through, though the conductor prefers to keep the darker truths in the background, treating the First Symphony almost like one of Stravinsky’s chic, neoclassic ballets. That’s one way to look at the music, and he does so convincingly”
David Patrick Stearns
Philadelphia Inquirer
My Wish List
