Symphony No. 1 in F major, opus 10[a]; Symphony No. 12 in D minor, The Year 1917, opus 112[b].
Vakhtang Jordania, Russian Federal Orchestra[a]/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin[b].
Angelok1 ANG-CD-9916. DDD. TT 70:00.
Recorded Radio Palace Hall, Moscow, February 2000[a]/Berlin Radio, Berlin, 10 January 2000[b].

This is the second entry in Vakhtang Jordania's projected Shostakovich cycle (his first, an interesting Eleventh Symphony, having filled this spot in DSCH No. 15). In any set of the complete symphonies the Twelfth has to be done, so it's probably best to get it out of the way early like this. It is also a good idea to couple it with a stronger work, as Angelok1 do here.

An exercise in thematic somnambulism, the Twelfth Symphony is widely - and justly, in my view - considered to be Shostakovich's weakest symphony. Jordania and his Berlin players try to make a strong case for it, serving up a performance of deeper feeling than most. Frissons of anticipation are felt as the opening bars of Revolutionary Petrograd swell with far more import than Kondrashin bothers to allot them in his 1972 recording (identically coupled on BMG/Melodiya 74321198482; deleted). One cannot help but feel the victim of a "bait and switch", however, because this promises more than the score goes on to deliver. Jordania drags out this first movement a minute longer than does Kondrashin, investing its slow passages with genuine introspection, but it is difficult to remain interested in these aimless wanderings at any speed.

I expect that the lonely fan of this symphony would appreciate the gravity Jordania imparts to the second movement, Razliv, and the portentous stirrings of Aurora, but really the vapid, repetitive final movement, Dawn of Humanity, is beyond redemption.

Better to focus on Symphony No. 1, here given a fresh presentation that makes it feel less like an audacious first experiment, more a labyrinth of cryptic signposts. Jordania's mysterious first movement swirls with disturbing outbursts and enigmatic symbols like the especially discordant brass proclamation at Fig. 45-1/8:05. The dry recording is appropriate to his approach and conveys bass with easy power.

The second movement also bears distinctive touches; take, for instance, the ritardando at Fig. 6/1:01, which Kondrashin applies as a quick gear change, but which here stretches across the semi-consciousness theme that follows like a narcotic haze.

The Russian Federal Orchestra's edgy, metallic strings offer no sympathy to the plaintive oboe, cello and violin solos of the third movement, and are notably disharmonious at the transition into the fourth movement. It should be admitted that their ensemble is not always razor sharp, and the violin soloist makes an unfortunate mistake at Fig. 22-5/3:46, playing three Cs instead of two Cs and a B as written in the score.

Overall, though, the orchestra are up to the task Jordania sets them. He is clearly a conductor to be reckoned with in this repertoire, and I am very keen to hear what he makes of future entries in this series.

W. Mark Roberts
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