Longest symphony in the world - standard repertoire - RODIN'S BUST

He may be one of the most important voices, as you say, when speaking about Mahler, but he knows nothing about Schostakowitch.

And you have an overactive imagination. That specific moment? it lasts what? the end? 10 seconds? 2 seconds?

get off the mahler obsession and move on.
it's really tiring.

Originally Posted by QcCowboy

He may be one of the most important voices, as you say, when speaking about Mahler, but he knows nothing about Schostakowitch.

And you have an overactive imagination. That specific moment? it lasts what? the end? 10 seconds? 2 seconds?

get off the mahler obsession and move on.
it's really tiring.

How can you say that Lenny didn't know anything about Dmitrij!

Bernstein visited Shostakovich in Russia. Have you ever met Shosta?

I'm sure Leonard is listening in the heaven of music right now, as we speak and have this absurd dialog!

It's not me who is obssessed, but You, who won't admit that you don't know so much about Mahler's music!

I'm just going to let this rest.
You think you know everything there is to know about Mahler, well, have fun. Enjoy it. Honestly, at this point, I couldn't care less.

I just hope that some of the young impressionable minds on this forum won't fall under the spell of your self-assurance.
You still have a LOT to learn about music, so your tone of absolute certitude is misplaced.
Give us your personal opinions. But be sure to voice them as your opinions.

Don't forget, you can quote from books all you want, but between that and understanding them there lies a chasm.

Oh, and just to answer your question: no, I was only 13 when Schostakowitch died, so I didn't get to meet him. You?
However, my friend, teacher, mentor and the conductor under whom I apprenticed for 10 years WAS a student and friend of Schostakowitch's, with insight into a great many of his masterpieces, and present at the premieres of many of them (or performing in the orchestra in some cases).

Yay, Qc! Don't let the humorless, ignorant, literalistic bastards get you down! I don't much care for Mahler, anyway.

Yes! Michel, you are right! I'm having fun listening to my beloved Mahler symphonies!

By the way, here is a picture of when Leonard Bernstein met Shostakovich in 1959 for the first time, while conducting the New York Philharmonic orchestra in Moscow.


Dmitrij speaks: "Studying Mahler's works completely changed my personal taste in my composing!

Even today! Mahler and Berg are among my absolute favorites!"




~ Dmitrij Shostakovich

Interesting, maybe Shostakovich missed the point then? To me it is an immensely moving, stirring piece of music, regardless of who conducts it. I have a lot of trouble interpreting composers' philosophical intentions, because I think about music in a very abstract way. I see colours and very abstract images as opposed to the plight of the soviet people!
For me, the composers philosophy is not important; I just immensely enjoy Bernstein's rendition of a fantastic composition.

Originally Posted by almacg

Interesting, maybe Shostakovich missed the point then? To me it is an immensely moving, stirring piece of music, regardless of who conducts it. I have a lot of trouble interpreting composers' philosophical intentions, because I think about music in a very abstract way. I see colours and very abstract images as opposed to the plight of the soviet people!
For me, the composers philosophy is not important; I just immensely enjoy Bernstein's rendition of a fantastic composition.

Hi Almacg,

"Yes! Whatever Mr.Bernstein did during his long career, it turned into gold!"

He is one of the seven wonders of the musical world... he is actually the reason I got so interested in Mahler. It was 1973, when I was watching a cable TV transmission in Greenland (West coast).

My father always made me listen to mozart, Beethoven and Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman' on Sunday's, when he was vacuum cleaning our appartment...lol!

But the day I saw Leonard Bernstein conduct Mahler's last mov, in his ninth symphony, I just lost control... completely!!!

Bernstein is one of the seventh wonders of the classical world!"


Regards,


Fred

this is completely off topic (sorry ) but since reading this i was listening to different renditions of his 5th and came across Shosty's 4th. I listened to the entire thing, and it spawned so much emotion out of me after hearing it for the first time and reading the story behind it. Shostakovich continues to find new ways of keeping him as my favorite composer.

Originally Posted by thatguy

this is completely off topic (sorry ) but since reading this i was listening to different renditions of his 5th and came across Shosty's 4th. I listened to the entire thing, and it spawned so much emotion out of me after hearing it for the first time and reading the story behind it. Shostakovich continues to find new ways of keeping him as my favorite composer.

Hi Thatguy!

I remember the first time I heard the "LENINGRAD SYMPHONY" in Stockholm performed by the Moscow symphony orchestra with Evgeny svetlanov as conductor... I was as sweaty as Svetlanov!

I also remember the first movement with the two guys hammering on their snares drums while the rest of the orchestra was playing as passionate as only a Russian orchestra can!

The audience was howling of enthusiasm... and the applause of the audience just wouldn't stop!

Dmitrij speaks: "Studying Mahler's works completely changed my personal taste in my composing!

Even today! Mahler and Berg are among my absolute favorites!"


`Dmitrij Shostakovich