Welcome to the world of Dmitri Shostakovich's 15th, and final, symphony. It’s certainly Shostakovich in enigmatic and reflective mode, looking back at his own musical history with quotations from earlier scores, as well as Bernard Haitink’s first recording of Shostakovich 15 back in the late-70s was one of the finest things in his Decca cycle of the Symphonies, so to say that he’s surpassed it with this new account put together from concerts with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam in 2010 is high praise.

Shostakovich’s symphony is a tribute to all who have died in pain, but particularly to the fellow suffering artists with whom he felt such affinity. Shostakovich originally subtitled the first movement "The Toyshop",The second movement (opening in the far-removed key of The final movement is notable for many things, among them its eerie It is worth noting that Shostakovich, as he often does in his late scores, includes certain aspects of Ever the humourist, Shostakovich delighted in placing allusions to the works of himself and other composers in his work, and his Fifteenth symphony is particularly rich in Most skilful is his manipulation of the longing leitmotif from Wagner's The composer said in conversation with his friend, The symphony is scored for the following instruments:

The focus is on its genuinely symphonic breadth, the deep shadows and pregnant pauses.The notes describe it as "a cradle-to grave work": beginning with youthful élan, concluding like a last breath. Shostakovich's 15 Symphonies: Ranked As a self-proclaimed Shostakovich fan, upon receiving the box set of the Liverpool Philharmonic’s recordings of all of his symphonies under Vasily Petrenko, I could hardly resist setting myself a little challenge to … It’s all over. The opening, almost introductory song is an elegy for a …

Shostakovich's Dmitri Shostakovich in the audience at the Bach Celebration of 28 July 1950 Some kind of symphonic last testimony, then? 15, … The focus is on its genuinely symphonic breadth, the deep shadows and pregnant pauses.

It’s gripping from start to finish, and the playing Haitink inspires is rarely short of stunning, vibrant with tension. …

15 remains a complete enigma for the observant listener. Andrew McGregor 2012 Dmitri Shostakovich ’s last symphony, No. There’s almost nothing in the performance to betray its live origins, and the slightly opaque, shadowy sound at least suits the work, and opens up a little if you can listen in surround.Haitink feels his way through the fabric of quotations and allusions with a sombre certainty that’s deeply moving, and the ending settles on the symphony with a gently mechanistic finality that brooks no argument. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. Shostakovich had moved in this direction with the Symphony No. The work has four movements, the middle two being played without interruption, with a duration of approximately 45 minutes: No applause. If anything, Haitink underplays the opportunities for grotesque humour and the sardonic edge to some of the writing, focusing instead on its genuinely symphonic breadth, the deep shadows and pregnant pauses. Percussion aside, the score is remarkably restrained in its use of instrumental forces. 14 and had found … The rest is silence.Clips taken from original discs may contain strong language. Composed in 1971 in just a few weeks, the 15th Symphony belongs to the period of Shostakovich's …